


Lady-in-Waiting

by WinterAssassin



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood and Gore, Developing Friendships, Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:54:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22395886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterAssassin/pseuds/WinterAssassin
Summary: Elenna Arandür is a 27 year old woman who has lived with the Lady of Light, Galadriel, for nearly half her life – serving as her Lady-in-Waiting. When Galadriel is needed in Rivendell for council, Elenna accompanies her, not knowing that this journey will entail more than a simple trip to Rivendell.
Relationships: Thorin's Company & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 14





	1. Off to Rivendell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally wrote this in 2013 and had a few chapters posted on Fanfiction (story is called Breaking Free) and forgot about it. Recently got my friend into The Hobbit so now I'm back in the game. Lol.
> 
> I kinda liked this idea and decided to rewrite the few chapters I had and go from there, I guess. Also, I changed the girl's name from Emílynn to Elenna.
> 
> Also if you have suggestions for a new title then please tell me because I don't know... OTL 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

Elenna rose with the sun.

She blinked the sleep from her emerald eyes and washed up before she dressed herself for the day. The young woman joined the other elf maiden’s in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel. By the time everything was nearing completion, Elenna excused herself and made her way to where the Lord and Lady’s quarters were, counting the steps as she climbed up the spiral stairs wrapped around the mallorn tree.

Elenna stopped short of the door and peered down at herself. She realized that she still had flour dusted all over her apron. She cursed herself inwardly and brushed it off as best she could before positioning herself in front of the huge wooden door. Elenna knocked gently and heard a faint voice beckoning her inside.

“Excuse me,” The human spoke before opening the door. She ventured inside and saw that Galadriel and Celeborn were already awake and dressed for the day. Elenna smiled and bowed her head, “Breakfast shall be ready any moment.”

“Thank you, Elenna.” Celeborn gave her a nod. “You may return to your studies.” He instructed. Elenna paused for a moment but nodded. She turned and made her trek down the spiraling stairs. When she came to a platform that had an addition to the grand staircase, she followed it and made her way to the alcove within another mallorn. The alcove was where she, among others, came to study. It held many books and papers, as well as areas to sit and read or write at. It was a place Elenna was getting to know well. When she was not with Lady Galadriel, she was either doing her chores or lost in her studies.

After a while, Elenna put the quill down to rest her hand. Her fingers were sore from squeezing the quill too tight as she practiced her hand writing. She rubbed the pads of her fingers softly and was about to get back to writing when Galadriel came into the room. Elenna blinked. She hastily stood up and bowed politely. “My Lady, what brings you here?” She wondered.

Usually when Galadriel came to her when she was studying, it was to test her knowledge. The Lady of Light smiled at her panicked expression. “I- I did not know you were going to test me today...” Elenna admitted, her cheeks flushed.

“That is not why I’m here, actually.” Galadriel mused. She stalked behind the young girl and gently touched her shoulders, causing Elenna to sit back down. “You see, I am needed in Imladris.”

“Rivendell...” Elenna whispered. She squinted her eyes down at her papers, confused. She turned to look at the tall elf behind her. “Why are you needed there? For how long? I–” Before Elenna could finish, Galadriel ran her fingers through her blond hair.

“Worry not, child. I will be bringing you with me. As for the why, my council is needed.” Galadriel explained softly as she brushed her fingers through Elenna’s hair. Elenna closed her eyes, lost in the feeling. It reminded her of when her mother would run her fingers through her hair when she was a child, frightened by something in the dark. Galadriel simply smiled and stepped away, “Will you help me pack?”

Elenna’s emerald eyes snapped open, having forgotten what was happening. “Of course!” She smiled and got up from her place in the corner. She gathered her papers, tucking them in the pages of the book she had open on the table. The blond haired woman hugged her book close to her chest as she followed Galadriel back to her quarters, ready to help her pack her things for their trip to Rivendell.

♦ ♦ ♦

The sound of hooves on gravel and the small bump of going over a rock startled Elenna awake.

The human girl sat up straight and peered around the cabin of the carriage, her heart pounding in its cavern. She relaxed the moment her emerald eyes landed on her Lady Galadriel. “My Lady...” Elenna whispered as she leaned closer to the fair elven woman.

Galadriel turned her gaze from the window to the young girl, a soft smile appearing on her face. “Elenna, were you startled?”

The question made Elenna flush. Despite her embarrassment, she nodded. “Yes, I... I was dreaming...” Elenna trailed off, breaking Galadriel’s gaze so she could look out the window. She noticed they were on a gravel road, not deep within the forest anymore. Elenna turned her green eyes back to Galadriel.

She asked, “Are we close?”

“Yes,” Galadriel smiled and she followed Elenna’s stare out the window of the carriage. “We will soon be arriving in Imladris.” The Lady of Light settled for watching their surroundings. The familiarity of the land and surrounding area grew more and more the closer they got. Not even an hour passed as they arrived at the gates of Rivendell.

It was Lindir who came to greet them at the gates.

Elenna got out from the carriage and spun on her heels, offering a hand to Galadriel. The Lady of Light smiled and took her hand, nodding at Lindir. Elenna faltered and remembered her manners; she turned to bow her head to Lindir. “Thank you for coming to greet us.” She spoke softly, suddenly finding herself shy as it has been a few years since meeting new faces and venturing out from Lothlórien.

The brown haired elf just smiled at her. “It is no problem, my lady.”

Elenna shook her head, “No, Lady Galadriel is... I’m just.. No one. Really.” The human forced a laugh out, suddenly feeling quite awkward. She turned her eyes from Lindir and instead focused on Galadriel. “Shall we?” The green eyed girl asked.

Lindir turned and motioned for them to follow him down the narrow pathway into Rivendell. Elenna carried their stuff, eyes scanning the beauty of Rivendell, her mouth agape. Lothlórien was quite the beautiful place but Rivendell was just as magnificent as what she read. “Elenna,” Elenna paused at the mention of her name. She peered up at Galadriel, tilting her head in questioning. “If you keep your mouth open any longer, fairy dust will coat your tongue.”

Immediately, Elenna shut her mouth. She cringed and wondered if her Lady was teasing her. She has never seen a fairy before but she did not question anything Galadriel said. Elenna was certain that she did not want to find out what fairy dust even tasted like, although it did spring an honest question into her mind. ‘ _What_ does _fairy dust taste like?_ ’

Before she could get lost in her thoughts, Elenna realized that they were in the heart of Rivendell. Elrond stood before them, a smile on his face as he welcomed Galadriel. Two dark haired elves who appeared to be identical to each other stood behind Elrond, and a smaller girl stood next to them. Elenna knew of Lord Elrond for he was wedded to Celeborn and Galadriel’s daughter, Lady Celebrían. She was not too sure who the other three were, however they did bare resemblance to Elrond, so Elenna had some guesses.

“It is nice of you to join us,” Elrond bowed his head. “And I see you brought a friend.” The Lord of Rivendell turned his grey eyes to Elenna.

“This is Elenna Arandür, daughter of Kathía.” Galadriel introduced her, a soft smile on her face.

Elenna bowed politely, her hands clasped behind her. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Elrond. I hope I can be of service to you.” The emerald eyed woman smiled.

“She has been in my care since she was saved by Celeborn when she was a child.” The Lady of Light explained as she patted Elenna’s head. “Now she lives in Lothlórien serving as my Lady-in-Waiting.” Galadriel’s voice held amusement, her smile shining just like her golden-silver hair.

Elrond matched his mother-in-law’s smile. “I’m sure she is doing a wonderful job.”

“Yes, although there were a few troubling times when she was younger but she has aged well into the role.” Galadriel asserted. “Certainly as a person, as well.”

Elenna flushed. “My Lady...” The human whispered. She remained silent, not knowing what to say to her words. Instead, she glanced at the other three elves who remained behind Elrond.

As if sensing her curiosity, Elrond cleared his throat and stepped out of the way, motioning to the three. “Elenna, these are my children. My two sons, Elladan and Elrohir and my daughter Arwen.” At the mention of their names, each half-elven child bowed their head in greeting. Elenna returned the bow, curious of the three.

They appeared close in age, physically, but she knew they were older than she. For Elenna was only human and not immortal as they were. “It’s nice to meet you.” Elenna smiled as she brushed strands of hair from her face.

“My Lady,” Both the twins spoke, matching grins on their face. Elladan and Elrohir – or perhaps it was Elrohir and Elladan – grabbed her hands and gave the back a soft kiss. Elenna flushed, unsure of how to respond, as Arwen rolled her eyes at her older brother’s. “Please,” Arwen interrupted the two as she pushed them back from the human. “I’m sure Elenna does not wish to have your slobber on her hands.”

With that, Arwen hooked her arm in Elenna’s and turned to look at her father and grandmother. “Is it all right if I show Elenna around?” The raven haired girl asked, a soft smile tugging on her lips.

“Of course.” Galadriel replied. “We have some things to discuss, seeing as we are indeed early.” The grey eyed elf turned to Elrond. “Take care, Arwen and Elenna.”

“Yes, grandmother.” Arwen bowed briefly before she pulled Elenna along with her. Once they were far enough away, the raven head fixed her eyes on the human. “I am sorry about my brothers.” She apologized for their idiocy, amusement glittering in her beautiful bluish-grey eyes.

“I- It is fine.” Elenna stumbled over her words, face still flushed.

Arwen giggled. “If they try anything again, just hit them over the head.” The half-elven girl prompted as she lead them down a hallway and into a beautiful garden. The pair stopped at a bench, the intricate carved wooden legs had vines and petals wrapping around it. Arwen sat and patted the spot beside her.

Elenna took her seat next to the half-elven girl. “It sounds like a good idea but I am afraid I am in no place to be doing such things...” The human mused as she offered Arwen a shrug.

“Oh,” Arwen blinked, her lashes fluttering. “Then if they bother you, come and find me and I will take care of them.” The girl giggled in her promise.

Elenna allowed herself to laugh, as well. “All right. It is a deal.”

Arwen gave a firm nod and then proceeded to tell Elenna of her home. Not leaving out the best hiding spots and where the perfect flowers rested. The half-elven princess pointed to where everything was located, promising to show Elenna her room later on. Elenna paid attention as best she could, however there was one thing left on her mind. ‘ _What are we early for, exactly?_ ’


	2. Haunting Memories

Elenna was shown her accommodations by an elven-maiden after having dinner with Galadriel, Elrond, and his children. That is were she is currently residing. Her room was large and beautifully decorated, the scent of flowers and water in the air because the balcony lead to a view of a small waterfall. It was beautiful but it still left her feeling empty because her home was in Lothlórien. Her place was with Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn, however, if her lady needed her elsewhere... Elenna would not complain.

A soft knock on her door pulled her from her musings. “Come in,” Elenna spoke softly. The door opened to reveal Arwen. “Hello, Lady Arwen.” The blond haired human smiled in greeting as she stood up from the chair placed in front of the vanity. “How can I help you?” Elenna asked.

Arwen shook her head as she approached. “You need not cater to me, Elenna. Think of me as your friend, if you wish.” The half-elven girl ducked her head, her cheeks a rosy color. With those words out of the way, the dark haired girl grabbed Elenna’s hands and pulled her to the balcony. Arwen furrowed her brows as she stared at the waterfall, nibbling on her bottom lip in thought. She turned back to Elenna, a shy smile on her face. “We can be friends, right?”

Elenna paused but gave a nod. “Yes, I would like to be your friend.” The blond smiled at Arwen. “Besides, you already swore to protect me from your brothers.” She joked.

Arwen laughed softly. “Well you need not worry.”

“What do you mean?” Elenna asked as she cocked her head to the side.

The half-elven princess replied, “My brothers are going to be meeting with young Estel and the Rangers of the North soon.” Arwen had a hint of something in her expression that Elenna could not place. “My father is going to be sending me to stay with my grandmother soon, as well.” Arwen almost pouted. Her expression quickly changed when she realized something.

“Oh, but you live in Lothlórien! We will be able to see each other.” The Lady of Rivendell smiled.

Elenna giggled at Arwen’s enthusiasm. “Yes,” She agreed. Already, Elenna was eager to return to Lothlórien with Lady Galadriel. She wondered if Arwen was going to travel with them. If she were coming to spend some time there soon then she may as well travel with them, right? Elenna then wondered how long they would be in Rivendell for. She remembered that Lady Galadriel had said something about being early. All Elenna knew was that her Lady was there for the gathering of the White Council.

‘ _I suppose my Lady will let me know the details if she deems it necessary._ ’ Elenna surmised. She was roused from her thoughts when Arwen stood up and said something about retiring to her room. Elenna stood as well and walked the elven girl to her door. “Have a good night, Arwen.” The emerald eyed girl smiled. She shut the door with a soft click and turned to face her bed. She vaguely wondered how Lady Galadriel was doing but pushed the thought back. Galadriel was perfectly fine and well, staying at the home of her son-in-law. Elenna nodded to herself and decided to call it a night, as well.

♦ ♦ ♦

“ _RUN!”_

_The shrill voice of a woman yelled. She could feel a hand on her back, shoving her forward, urging her to keep running. A snap of a branch behind her made her falter and turn on her heels. “Mama!” She wailed, her heart pounding as tears streamed down her face._

_The child’s hesitation caused her to be grabbed by one of the big, scary men. She could see the panic and fear in her mother’s eyes as she screamed at the men, “NO! Please!” The mother scrambled to her feet and rushed to the her side. Her muddied hands gripped her coat tightly, pulling and begging. “Please don’t take her! Leave my child alone!”_

_One of the men barked a laugh at the woman’s desperation. The woman cried out as her hair was yanked, causing her to stumble back and onto the wet, rain-stained ground. “Please...!” She sobbed as she flailed and tried to hit the man holding her back._

_The child could only watch with wide, terrified eyes as the man raised his fist and brought it down hard onto the woman’s tear-streaked face. The child flinched as her mother cried out. Yet again, she pleaded with the man – which only earned her another punch. “Mama...” The child whimpered, sniffling as the tears poured down her cheeks. The man’s grip on her tightened as he pulled her back, away from her mother._

“ _Let us be done with this! Search the rest of the homes and take the children and we will be off!” The man who was holding back the woman shoved her to the ground, a sick smile spreading on his face. “I think I ‘ought to teach this one a lesson.” He leered down at the woman as he dug a boot into her back so she could not get up from the ground._

“ _Just let my daughter go, please...” The woman whispered, her fingers curling into the muddy earth below her. She glanced up to see the child being pulled away from them, the fear etched into her small features made her heart hurt and her stomach coil. A bright light drew her attention to the rest of the village, under pillage and plunder, burning with flames that lit up the night despite the steady rainfall._

“ _Mama!” The child called once again. The man who stood behind her mother grinned sickly as he loosened his belt, “Don’t worry, sweetie. Your mother is in good hands.”_

“ _Come on!” The man tugging the child along had enough of her struggles and picked her up off the ground, ignoring her frantic cries and flailing limbs. “Settle down!” He hissed before he pushed her into a caged wagon that held a few other screaming and crying children._

_The child screamed one last time, “MAMA!”_

♦ ♦ ♦

Elenna gasped and shot up from her bed.

Her heart was pounding and her stomach churned, threatening to heave up the contents from dinner the night before. It took her a few minutes to get her barrings. Elenna slowly relaxed when she realized she was in Rivendell and not in some caged wagon. Not some helpless child. The green eyed woman sighed and reached up to rub at her tired eyes, not surprised to feel wet tears on her cheeks. She wiped her face as best she could before she pushed herself out of bed.

Elenna walked to the balcony and wondered what time it was. The light of the sun was peaking over the mountains, not yet high in the sky as it was during midday. So it was at least early morning, still. Elenna turned away and wrapped her arms around herself, thinking back to the memories which caused her to wake so suddenly. She bit her lip as a fresh tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped it away.

‘ _I’m sorry, mother._ ’ Elenna apologized, her eyes closed once she was seated on her bed.

“ _You have nothing to be sorry for, young one.”_

Elenna jumped when she heard a familiar voice inside her mind. ‘ _L- Lady Galadriel... You startled me.’_ The emerald eyed woman admitted. Despite the numerous times the Lady of Light has talked to her through her mind, Elenna thought she should be used to it. But time and time again, she was always startled.

“ _I am sorry you are still plagued by those memories, Elenna. But you have nothing to be sorry for.”_

Galadriel’s words echoed in her mind. Elenna smiled weakly. ‘ _I know..._ ’ She replied. Elenna peered around her room, wondering if she should get dressed and be ready to assist Galadriel if she needed it. ‘ _Do you need me, my lady?_ ’ She asked, just to be sure.

“ _No, I am fine, Elenna. You are free to use your time spent here as you wish.”_

Galadriel’s reply made Elenna’s shoulders drop slightly. ‘ _Okay._ ’ She responded. The gem-eyed girl felt the comforting presence of Galadriel leave her mind. She mulled over her Lady’s words. “Do as I wish...” The fact that Galadriel did not want her to attend to her made her a bit sad and at a loss for words. She supposed she could go back to her studies. Or maybe explore.

Elenna glanced back to her bed.

Or maybe even go back to sleep and not wake until she wanted. Elenna smiled and fell back into the silky sheets, sighing in contentment. Despite the painful memories she relived in her dreams, Elenna felt the calming waves from Galadriel taking over her, lulling her back to sleep.

♦ ♦ ♦

Elenna woke up feeling groggy. It was something she was not used to, having always risen with the sun in order to perform her duties in Lothlórien. Spending most of the morning sleeping took it’s toll on her, it seemed. Elenna yawned and clambered out of bed, her stomach rumbling for food. She washed her face and brushed her hair, deciding to tie it back with a braid. Once the blond was dressed, she left her room and headed to the kitchen.

She could see a few elves cleaning up after serving breakfast and a couple others cooking away, making breads and something sweet by the looks of it. Elenna stood at the entrance, wondering if it was rude to enter or not. Someone must have noticed her awkward stance and walked over. “Are you hungry?” They asked.

Elenna was about to answer however her stomach decided to do the talking. It grumbled and she flushed, her arms flying to cover her stomach as if it would mute the noise. “Yes, _no_ – Yes. Ah, I’m sorry...” She apologized, embarrassed.

The elf laughed, “Come, have something to eat. I am sure the whole of Imladris heard your hunger pains.” He teased gently as he showed her to a corner with a few chairs and a small, rectangular table. He sat her down and told her to wait a few moments while he prepared her something.

Elenna could only nod. She was still embarrassed and she knew that he was teasing her but she also knew that elves had good hearing so what he said most likely rang true. She sighed softly and turned her gaze to the open window. Lost once more in the beauty of Rivendell, Elenna nearly jumped when a plate was placed in front of her. “Oh, sorry.” She quickly apologized, realizing that she startled the elf, as well.

“It is fine,” The elf recovered quickly and he chuckled softly. “I hope you enjoy your food, my lady.” With that, he turned and went about his duties in the kitchen.

Elenna watched him for a few moments, suddenly feeling out of place. Working and helping around the kitchen was usually one of her duties and now here she was, sitting and eating. She supposed she should enjoy it while it lasted. Although being left to her own devices still left her feeling odd.

When Elenna finished her food she tried to wash her plate but an elf-maid took it from her and did it for her. Elenna really felt like she was out of her element. She excused herself, thanking them for the food and service, before leaving. The blond haired woman wandered around, curious but still marveling at the beauty Rivendell had to offer.

She walked until she got bored of it and decided to sit on a bench which over-looked a huge fountain. Elenna smiled, appreciating the scent of water and flowers in the air. Elenna was not sure how much time had passed when someone took a seat beside her. The emerald eyed woman turned and was surprised to see Lindir. “Oh, hello, Lindir.” Elenna greeted the elf.

Lindir gave her a nod. “Hello, Lady Elenna.”

“ _Erm_ , Elenna is fine. I’m not really anyone...” Elenna tried to explain, although she was not sure how good it sounded to say _I’m just a lowly human._ She cleared her throat and tucked the few fly-away strands of hair behind her ear.

However, Lindir looked amused. “You are still a lady, are you not?” He did not wait for her response. “So I think Lady Elenna will suffice.” The brunette chided softly, a smile playing on his lips.

Elenna nodded in defeat. “Very well.” She smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress and dared to look back at Lindir. “So, what brings you here?” Elenna asked, genuinely curious. From what she saw, she assumed Lindir was like her in the sense of serving their Lord and Lady.

“Ah, Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel wanted me to check on you.” He said in all honesty.

Elenna faltered. She stood up hastily, “Me? I am fine! Is everything else okay? What about Lady Galadriel? Does she need me to–” Elenna stopped when Lindir stood and put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry.” She responded once she was seated back on the bench.

“Everything and everyone is fine, Lady Elenna. Lady Galadriel was just worried about you since she has not seen you since last night.” Lindir explained, slightly amused by the human woman.

Elenna’s lips formed an ‘O’ shape. “Oh, I... I was sleeping.” She admitted, abashed. “But I am fine.” The human assured, giving Lindir a smile.

The elf returned the smile. Lindir changed the subject, “You have fast reflexes.” He noted, having seen her shoot straight up from the bench they were seated on. “It seems you know more than you let on, Lady Elenna.” Lindir coaxed.

“Well, Lord Celeborn actually spent a few years teaching me the ways of the sword.” Elenna clarified as she grimaced at the memories of training with the silver haired elf lord. “He wanted me to be able to defend myself should anything happen...” Elenna whispered the last few words. She thought back to her haunting memories and frowned. She shook her head and pushed those painful memories away and turned her attention back to Lindir.

Lindir had a surprised look on his face. Elenna could not help but laugh. When he heard her laughter, he blinked and smiled in return. “I am sorry,” He told her. “I guess I was not expecting to hear that.”

Elenna nodded. “Yes, I know I don’t quite seem like the type, but...”

“No, it is not like that,” Lindir was quick to interrupt. “I just do not think someone as beautiful as yourself should be brandishing a sword.” He admitted, wondering if he was saying something wrong again.

“Me?” Elenna near squeaked out. “I’m not beautiful. Y- You’re beautiful. I mean, I’m not blind to elves and their beauty, _I just_ , ah – I don’t know...” With her face burning red, Elenna stood up. “I’m sorry, I am going to go back to my room. If you should see Lady Galadriel then please let her know I am quite fine! Thank you!” The young woman bowed to Lindir and retreated to her room, wanting to hide under her covers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh ♥
> 
> The friendship between Arwen/Elenna and Lindir/Elenna is cute.
> 
> At least I think so :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. The Arrival of Dwarves

They had been in Rivendell for almost an entire week. Elenna was beginning to wonder just how early they were for this supposed meeting of the White Council but she decided that it was a good thing since Elrond and Arwen got to visit with Galadriel. The human also discovered that she was also beginning to find that she was falling in a slump.

The normal routine she had followed for years crumbled during their stay in Rivendell but she could not blame Lady Galadriel since she knew her Lady just wanted what was best for her. Elenna sighed. It was mid-afternoon and having just eaten with Arwen, Elenna was roaming around once more. She had walked around all of Rivendell and still managed to see new things each day. She met new people and even befriended a couple of the elf-maiden’s.

Back in Lothlórien, as Elenna got older, the less her memories from her early childhood haunted her. Now that they have been away from Lothlórien and in Rivendell for a near week, the memories were becoming more frequent and Elenna suspected it was because she did not feel the same comforts as she did in Lothlórien. However, whenever Lady Galadriel talked to her via her mind, Elenna found she got a good rest.

Elenna was currently recovering from a memory. It was not as awful as the first one she experienced in Rivendell but it was still hard to cope with. She was seated at the vanity in her room, head tilted downward as she stared at her reflection in the bowl of water. The water rippled and the memory flashed across her eyes.

“ _Here.”_

_The young girl jumped at the harsh voice. A man with a bruised face opened the barred door and thrust a bowl of soup into her room. The contents sloshed around, the broth splashing over the sides. “Eat it.” The man ordered before he shut the door and locked it._

_Elenna watched him leave before grabbing the bowl, not minding that the heat was burning her fingertips. She took her dinner to the corner of her small room and laid it down in front of her. She decided to let it cool down before eating it as she did not want to burn her mouth like before. Elenna settled and wrapped her arms around her knees, watching the broth ripple with every foot step that went by her room._

Elenna’s attention was drawn from the bowl of water when she heard a couple elves rush by her room. They spoke in Sindarin, so luckily Elenna understood what they were saying in such hurried voices. They were speaking of the arrival of someone or something, Elenna had not caught the rest. She silently thanked all those lessons she took growing up.

The young human woman stood and dressed quickly before leaving her room. She was curious as to whom arrived, warranting such haste and gossip. Elenna made her way to a balcony which overlooked the entrance to Rivendell. She squinted her eyes at the sight of a group standing in the square but when she saw movement in her peripheral vision, Elenna saw Lindir walking down the steps to greet their new guests. Elenna stood back, not wanting the curiosity to get the better of her. She figured that she would hear more about it later on, if they were to stay. The 27 year old turned to leave and find something better to do than snoop on possible guests but nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the elves horn echoing throughout the valley.

Elenna spun around and saw that elven riders were returning (from what she did not know) and they began circling the unknown group. She then decided it was best to leave Lord Elrond and Lindir to it, so she turned and walked away, suddenly wanting to find Lady Galadriel.

“ _My Lady...”_ Elenna called in her mind.

It is always Galadriel speaking to her through her mind, not the other way around. So Elenna paused to think that maybe her Lady could not hear her. It made her feel foolish for a brief moment until the familiar presence of Lady Galadriel entered her mind, instantly soothing her. Elenna rejoiced, ‘ _My Lady!’_

“ _Elenna, you need not worry about these strangers.”_

Galadriel’s voice was soft like a whisper in her mind. Elenna flushed, ‘ _I- I was not too worried..._ ’ The emerald eyed girl answered. Who was she kidding? Of course she was worried. Lady Galadriel could sense her emotions, even. Besides, the group of strangers did not appear to be of Men. They seemed much shorter than the Elves. And much harrier.

“ _The dwarves from the Blue Mountains are on a quest, it seems...”_

Her Lady’s response was confusing. ‘ _A quest?_ ’ Elenna mimed, her eyebrows furrowed. “Dwarves...” She mumbled, staring at the ground. ‘ _I’ve never met dwarves before, only heard tales..._ ’

_She shivered from the cold._

_The young girl wrapped the blanket tighter around herself as she tried to hide from the biting wind howling outside. She spared a glance at where the other girl lay in the opposite corner of the wagon. Her eyes were squeezed closed as she shivered under her own blanket. Her green eyes looked away and instead focused on the stars in the sky. At least, the ones she could see through the holes in the roof and between the iron bars that caged them in._

_Laughter pulled her attention to the two men driving the wagon._

“ _Stupid dwarves,” One of the men cackled._

 _The other sniggered in turn, “T’was obvious a dragon was going to come sooner or later! Those fire-breathers love gold much more than any ‘ol dwarf.” The man jeered. She wondered if he had a cruel look on his face as he spoke. “The fact that a Dunlending needed our_ services _is quite disturbing in itself. Though it makes me wonder if any dwarves are still living there.”_

“ _Nah, I ‘erd that most went to the Blue Mountains.” The other quipped, his voice low as if he were telling a scary story. “After a battle that not many returned from, you know.”_

“Elenna!”

Elenna jolted out of her memory. She looked up to see Lindir standing in front of her. His eyebrows were raised, concern etched on his features. “Are you unwell?” He asked.

“Ah...” Elenna took a step back as she moved out of his way. “No, I am fine. I was just... remembering something.” The human offered the elf a smile, hoping it would please him. It seemed to work and Lindir nodded in turn. Elenna looked away as she remembered the dwarven strangers. “So, you have company?”

“So it seems.” Lindir replied.

“I see,” Elenna nodded slowly. She peered around, seeing no one else in sight, and leaned in closer to Lindir to whisper to him, “Are they scary?” The emerald eyed woman asked. She could see the brown haired elf smile in amusement. “I never met any dwarves before.” Elenna pouted as she felt the need to justify her concerns.

“I think they are just hungry,” Lindir offered. “As far as appearances go, though...” He simply offered the human a shrug of his shoulder. Elenna stared.

“Do elves shrug?” She wondered suddenly, causing Lindir to chuckle. Elenna flushed. “Sorry. You do not need to answer that, I am just unnaturally curious, I suppose.” The blond explained.

“Well, if you will excuse me I must see to our cooks that our guests are served soon.” Lindir stepped by Elenna and disappeared down the hall, around a corner. Elenna stared at the empty hall and then remembered she was talking to Lady Galadriel prior to... spacing out. She remembered her Lady say something about a quest.

It made her wonder if Galadriel and the other White Council members were going to give them advice about their quest. Or perhaps it was about something else. Elenna did not know and decided not to pretend to know. She was sure her Lady would fill her in on any details should she need to.

Elenna turned around and decided to head back to her room since everyone was probably busy fussing over the new arrivals to Rivendell. From what she heard before, Dwarves like to eat. And drink. She briefly wondered if there was a kind out in Middle Earth that did not like to drink. Not that she ever drank much.

Celeborn gave her wine to taste and Elenna found that she did not enjoy it so much. Although that had been years earlier so perhaps her thoughts changed on the liquid. Either way, Elenna did not want to find out. She was determined to hide in her room for the time being. Unless Lady Galadriel needed her for something.

She entered her quarters and walked to the balcony. Elenna closed her eyes and breathed in the scent that was Rivendell and listened to the nature, as well as the bustling elves, around her. She opened her eyes and walked back inside only to be startled by Galadriel standing by her door. “Oh! Lady Galadriel...”

The Lady of Light was always silent on her feet, always startling her when she least expected it. Honestly, after living half her life with the elven beauty Elenna should have been used to it, but no. She was not. “What...” Elenna trailed off when she noticed the tray holding a plate and a cup of water. “I’m supposed to bring you meals, my Lady...”

Galadriel simply smiled. “I was feeling you were too put-off by the sudden appearance of the dwarves so I decided to bring you some food. Eat and feel better in the morning, child.” The Lady of Lothlórien placed the tray containing her meal onto the vanity. “The White Council will be meeting soon and some decisions must be made.” Galadriel got a far-away look in her eyes, as if something were troubling her. However the fair-haired elf masked her features and turned around to leave. “Make sure you get a good night’s rest, Elenna.” Galadriel said softly, with a smile as sweet as honey.

Elenna mumbled, “Yes, my Lady.”

♦ ♦ ♦

By the time evening rolled around Elenna was bored in her room.

The blond haired woman tried to get some rest but she found she could not get to sleep no matter how hard she tried. Her mind was too focused on the events of the day. The arrival of the dwarves, the White Council, whatever the dwarves quest was about, and not to mention the curiosity that plagued her very being.

Elenna sat outside on the balcony and chewed the bottom of her lip. Lady Galadriel had yet to speak to her and she heard nothing else about the White Council or their meeting. Such as to be expected since she was not apart of the White Council, but still. Elenna sighed softly and stood up. She looked to the tray which held her empty plate and glass.

With narrowed eyes, Elenna briefly mulled over the idea of leaving to return the dishes to the kitchen but quickly banished the thought. She made her mind up hours ago that she was going to stay in her room. _However..._

Elenna groaned. She walked up to the tray and grabbed it. The fair-haired woman walked to the door and opened it as quiet as she could. She paused. ‘ _Why am I trying to be so quiet? It is not like I am not allowed to be out. Right?_ ’ Elenna scoffed lightly. She exited and closed the door softly behind her before making her way to the kitchen. She deposited her dishes into the wash basin and picked up a cloth.

The emerald eyed woman was surprised that there was not any elves around but she did not question it. That at least gave her the chance to clean her dishes and resume some semblance of the norm. When she finished, Elenna dried her hands off and made to exit the kitchen however just as she passed through the open door frame, something or someone bumped into her. Elenna gasped at both the being and the loud clatter of bowls at her feet. The human immediately couched down to help pick up what was dropped. “I am very sorry.” Elenna apologized profusely, cheeks colored in embarrassment.

“No, it was my fault.” A man’s voice muttered quietly as he took the empty bowls from Elenna.

Elenna glanced up from the stack of bowls and came face to face with a man with his hair styled into tree peaks above his head. She gasped and fell back onto her bottom, pushing herself away from the stranger. “Wh- Who are you?” Elenna stuttered out.

The stranger grinned as he stood up, “That is of no concern to you, my lady...” He jeered as he stared down at Elenna.

From her spot on the floor, Elenna could see that the stranger had to be one of the dwarves Galadriel mentioned. He was shorter than a man or elf but much harrier than most. He also had many braids decorated into his hair. His eyes appeared to be brown but when he moved into the bare light shining in through the curtains they gleamed a dark, forest green. Elenna also noticed that his grin was gone and he was staring at her with confusion.

Elenna looked down at herself, cowering, like she was a child again – her cheeks went red. The young woman clambered to her feet and brushed the dirt from her dress. “I’m sorry,” She apologized once more, emerald eyes flicking to the bowls in the dwarf’s hands. “But, _uhm_... I...” Elenna fell silent, at a loss for words.

“You’re not an elfling,” The dwarf noted, a hint of surprise in his voice. The brown haired dwarf huffed, “A human.” He stated.

Elenna looked away. “Yes.” She cautioned. Elenna felt daring and narrowed her eyes down at the odd dwarf, “Is that a problem, master dwarf?”

The dwarf chuckled and put the empty bowls into the basin. He turned around and leaned against the counter top, his arms folded over his chest. “No, lass. Just strange.” He mused.

Elenna scoffed. “As strange as dwarves in Rivendell, I guess?” She countered, eyeing the dwarf. Elenna went to the exit and spared the dwarf one last look. “Also you should put those utensils back, they certainly do not belong in your jacket.” Elenna huffed and went on her way.

She marched into her room and stood there for a few moments. Elenna wrung her hands together and paced around the foot of her bed and sighed softly. She thought that maybe she should tell someone about the dwarf and his sticky fingers but decided against it for the time being. Especially since it was late evening and she did not want to disturb anyone.

Elenna could only hope that the dwarf listened to her and put them back where they belonged.


	4. An Unexpected Journey, Indeed

Elenna woke up just as the sun rose over the mountains, pooling sunshine throughout Rivendell. She stretched and lay in bed for a few minutes longer until she deemed it time to get up and get the day started. Elenna changed and washed her face, brushing her hair before gathering it into a low ponytail and fastening it with a hair clasp. The human made sure she was presentable and left her room.

She walked down the corridor and turned in the direction of the kitchen. When she rounded the corner Elenna came to a halt, seeing the usual elves that worked in the kitchen standing outside said area. The blond haired woman raised her eyebrow and approached the one who had fed her before. “Excuse me but what is going on?” Elenna asked, curious as ever.

The elf glanced back at Elenna but quickly averted his attention towards the kitchen. “One of our _guests_ took over the kitchen.” He supplied. He pursed his lips, obviously annoyed at their dwarven guests.

“Oh,” Elenna replied softly. She too turned her attention towards the kitchen. Her curiosity got the better of her and she took a few steps forward in order to peer around the two elf-maid’s muttering to each other in Sindarin. Elenna stared at the rather large, fiery haired dwarf in the kitchen.

He was humming to himself as he ransacked the cupboards for things he needed. The ginger-haired dwarf spun around and grabbed some spices from the shelves, albeit with a little difficulty, and dumped some into the boiling pot above the fire. The dwarf halted his actions when he felt the stares of the elves by the entrance. He turned and stared in return, unsure of what to say or do. “Well... Thank you for the use of your kitchen.” The round dwarf offered a brief smile before he made a bee line for the elves pantry.

Elenna stepped into the kitchen when he disappeared and crept over to the pot. She saw that he was making stew of some kind and wondered just how long ago he had taken over the kitchen. She heard his footsteps and she stepped back, not wanting to seem as if she were imposing. When he appeared from the pantry, his brown eyes landed on Elenna. He stared for a moment before going to the cutting board. “Don’t mind me, lassie.” He hummed out.

Elenna stared at the dwarf and deemed that he was already much friendlier than the one from the previous night. “May I ask your name, master dwarf?” Elenna asked hesitantly. If they were staying as guests in Rivendell then she may as well get to know their names, she figured.

The ginger dwarf peered up at her, his brown eyes unblinking. “Bombur, my lady.” Bombur answered as he offered the fair-haired woman a smile. He picked up a ladle and stirred his stew before glancing back up at her. “And what may your name be?”

Elenna faltered. “I’m sorry,” She apologized, having forgotten her manners. “I am Elenna.”

Bombur gave her a nod and continued to tend to his other food preparations. “You can get what you need to, don’t mind me.” The ginger-haired dwarf offered once more.

Elenna turned to the elves still standing by the door. “You may attend to your business in here,” The young human told the elves. “Have you prepared Lady Galadriel’s meal yet?” One of the elf-maiden’s shook her head, her wary eyes glancing at Bombur. Elenna nodded and said, “Then I shall take care of her breakfast.”

Without anymore words, Elenna went straight to business and began to prepare Galadriel’s meal. She sliced a couple pieces of bread and put it on the rack over the open flames, letting it toast. While Elenna was waiting for that, she peeled fresh fruits and sliced them up. She displayed them in a bowl and put it on a plate. When the bread was done toasting she picked up the pieces and put them down. The emerald eyed woman took a small saucer and put some butter in it and grabbed a fork and knife, placing them on the plate neatly.

Content with her creation, Elenna put the plate on a tray and poured water into a glass and put it down, as well. She paused, looking to Bombur. “Good day,” Elenna bowed her head before taking her leave of the kitchen. The elves murmured amongst themselves before slowing creeping into the kitchen to attend to their normal duties, mindful of the dwarf at work.

Elenna found her way to her Lady’s quarters.

The emerald eyed woman balanced the tray in one hand as she used her free hand to knock on the door gently. She heard Lady Galadriel’s voice say for her to come in, so Elenna opened the door. “Good morning, my Lady.” Elenna smiled brightly at Galadriel.

Galadriel smiled at her. Her grey eyes flicked down to the tray Elenna was holding and laughed softly. It sounded like music to Elenna’s ears. It made her smile in return. “I know but I just could not help myself...” Elenna told her Lady. “I got to meet one of the dwarves, though.”

“Oh?” Galadriel sat at the small but finely and beautifully crafted table out on the balcony overlooking Rivendell. “I’m glad you are venturing from your comfort zone. It is always good to meet new people and make new friends and allies.”

Elenna furrowed her brows. “Meeting new people, yes. Friends, I suppose with time. But – allies?” She questioned softly, not hiding her confusion. “Why would I need to be the ally of a group of dwarves?” Elenna suddenly got the feeling Galadriel was not telling her something. But before she could question it, Galadriel closed the distance between them and clasped her hands in hers. Elenna looked up, her emerald eyes meeting calculating grey orbs.

“Elenna, there is something I need you to do.” Galadriel said softly, watching the young woman’s face for change. “I cannot tell you now but I will soon.” The Lady of Light turned back to her food, watching the water glisten in the light of the sun.

Elenna watched her Lady for a few moments longer then turned around. She knew Galadriel would tell her in time what she needed to do. For now, Elenna supposed she would return to her room. “I understand, my Lady.” Elenna told Galadriel. She glanced back at her Lady and smiled, “For you, I will do anything.”

“ _I know, child...”_

Galadriel’s voice in her mind calmed her a tad. Elenna smiled and left Galadriel’s room, leaving her to enjoy her breakfast. Elenna knew she thought about returning to her room but since the day was just getting started, she figured she would wander around Rivendell once more. She may have seen most of the City but surely she has not seen most of its wonders and beauty. Elenna walked the opposite way of her quarters and down a narrow corridor.

She briefly thought about paying a visit to Arwen but decided against it since it seemed as if Lord Elrond was keeping his daughter away from their dwarven guests. Elenna followed some steps down into a court and stood there for a few moments, admiring the intricate design on the columns. Elenna traced a crack in one of the column’s and was about to leave when she heart a faint yelp, followed by laughter. She blinked.

Elenna followed the sounds of chatter and laughter, masked faintly by the loud rushing of a nearby waterfall. At first she thought it may have been some elves but then there were more gruff and hoarse voices, so she assumed the voices belonged to the dwarven guests of Lord Elrond. She walked down some steps and rounded a corner slowly.

What greeted her eyes made her freeze in her steps.

The group of dwarves were all in one of the big fountains that one of the many waterfalls in Rivendell pooled into. Most were laughing and being rambunctious as they bather and others were more reserved. No – scratch that, they were all horsing around. Save for the two who were outside the fountain. What shocked Elenna most of all is that they were all naked. It was clearly something she did not need to see. Before she could collect her thoughts and leave them to it, the young human heard footsteps behind her.

Elenna spun around and saw Lord Elrond and Lindir walking around the corner, having come the way she just did. Lindir looked pressed about something while Elrond seemed to have no worries over whatever the other elf was worried over. Elenna held back a squeak and hastily glanced back at the dwarves, then back to the two elves. “Uhm! I- I was not... Ah, _you_... They-!” The fair-haired woman flushed as she waved her hands around, trying to explain herself.

“E- Excuse me!” Elenna sputtered out before hightailing it out of there.

♦ ♦ ♦

When she deemed herself far enough away, Elenna leaned against a wall and took a deep, much needed breath. Her heart was pounding and she was not sure if it was about seeing the dwarves or running into Lindir and Lord Elrond, or just from running away from her problem. Elenna sighed and calmed herself. She stared at the ground and briefly thought back to what Lady Galadriel had said earlier.

Elenna shook her head, pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind. The young girl decided not to worry about what her Lady needed from her and focus on the present. Elenna pushed herself off the wall and trekked down the hall until she found herself back to Lady Galadriel’s quarters. She cursed herself inwardly. About to turn and leave, Elenna halted when she saw Arwen poking her head out room room. “Oh, Arwen,” Elenna stared, ignoring the jump of her heart from suddenly getting spooked.

“Good afternoon, Elenna.” Arwen greeted as she came out from her room. She glanced around but walked closer to the human. “Are the company of dwarves still here?” The beautiful elf asked hesitantly.

Elenna made a face as she suddenly remembered the group of naked dwarves. “Yes...” She mumbled after a moment when she realized that Arwen was still waiting for an answer. Elenna cleared her throat. “They are still here. For how long, I am not sure.”

Arwen looked thoughtful. “Father does not want me to go near them but truly they are not that bad?” The half-elven princess turned her bluish-grey eyes towards the centre of the City. “Oh well. I am just glad that Elladan and Elrohir are gone so they will not be causing any trouble with our guests.” Arwen smiled.

Elenna giggled. “Yes, I am sure they will not take kind to your brother’s greeting.” Her thoughts flashed back to when the twins had kissed her hands. She heard Arwen stifle a giggle. Elenna smiled and stared off into the distance. “I do not think they are all bad. One was nice to me, even.” She recalled the dwarf she met earlier in the kitchen. Bombur, was his name.

“Really?” Arwen stared in wonder, her eyes sparkling.

Elenna nodded, “Yes. Although I did see something I would rather not scar you with, Arwen...” The blond huffed. Arwen arched her brow but did not press it. Elenna was grateful.

The two girls talked for a bit longer until Galadriel appeared from her room which was a few doors down from Arwen’s. “Arwen, I have spoken to your father about your stay in Lórien.” The Lady of Light smiled down at her grand daughter.

Arwen’s eyes lit up. “Am I to travel back with you?” She asked. When Galadriel nodded, Arwen’s smile grew. “That is wonderful news!”

Elenna smiled, sharing in Arwen’s happiness. Although she had a feeling that things would go differently than anticipated for her. Her smile fell as she thought about having to leave Galadriel and once again the question plagued her mind, begging to be answered. “My Lady...” Elenna tried but Galadriel put a hand on her shoulder.

“I will be back, Elenna. For now I must talk with the others.” Galadriel spoke softly.

Immediately, Elenna knew she was referring to the White Council. She nodded in turn. “Okay. But please come talk to me later, I...” Elenna lowered her green eyes, her mood sinking.

Galadriel touched her cheek softly. “Of course, child. Now, take care you two.” The other-worldly elf gave the two a gentle smile before she silently took her leave, disappearing down the hallway.

Elenna looked up to Arwen, who was giving her a worried look. “I am fine,” Elenna assured the dark haired elf. She offered Arwen a smile while the girl returned hesitantly. “Have you already packed your things? I am not sure how long you will be in Lothlórien but you should make sure you have everything you need. Not that Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn will hesitate to get you anything should you need it. I-... I am rambling... Sorry.” Elenna apologized sheepishly, wringing her hands together. It was a tell that she was troubled by something; and troubled by something, she was.

Arwen only smiled. “It is fine. Some time you will have to tell me more about growing up with Galadriel and Celeborn. I am sure there are some interesting stories I would love to hear.” The half-elven girl mused.

Elenna scoffed. “Not so much interesting and more on the embarrassing side. But, I digress.” The human woman spun on her feet and decided she would wait for her Lady back in her quarters. “Have a good night, Arwen.”

“Good night, Elenna.” Arwen replied softly as she ventured back into her room. The door closed with a soft click and Elenna took that as her cue to make her way down the hall and around the corner to her room. She stepped inside and sat on her bed.

The young girl unclasped her hair and brushed her fingers through her light blond locks. She untangled the bigger knots that managed to appear throughout the day and knew she would need to brush her hair later. Now, however, she was lost in her mind as she waited for Lady Galadriel.

♦ ♦ ♦

Elenna did not realize she fell asleep until she felt fingers sliding from her forehead and into her hair. She opened her eyes slowly, lids heavy with sleep. “My Lady...?” Elenna asked softly, stretching and cuddling into the warm lap beneath her head.

“Elenna,” Galadriel whispered her name.

Elenna hummed in response, stirring once more. She forced her green eyes open and blinked tiredly. From her spot on the bed, Elenna saw that Galadriel had her head in her lap and she was lightly running her fingers through her hair. It was comforting, and reminded Elenna of when she was a young child. Reminded her of her mother. “What is it?” Elenna asked quietly, glancing out the balcony to see the light of day just peaking over the mountains. She realized that the meeting must have been a while since it was already the next day.

Now more awake, Elenna sat up.

Galadriel stared at her, an unreadable expression on her face. Elenna found that she did not like whenever her Lady had such an expression on her face because she never knew what to expect. The Lady of Light brushed a few strands of hair from the human’s face, her eyes sparkling in the early morning light. “My dear, I have seen the future you share with the dwarves and I have decided that they need you more than I.”

Elenna drew her brows together in confusion. “My future?” The girl questioned. Was she wrong to assume that her future would always be at Lady Galadriel’s side? Was she not needed anymore? Would she ever return to Lothlórien and her Lady and Lord?

So many questions flashed through her mind but the soft touch to her cheek instantly eased her worries. Elenna focused her bright green eyes on Galadriel, searching her face for answers once more. This time, Galadriel had a wistful look on her face instead of a stolid expression. Elenna supposed that was something.

“Do not worry for you shall see me again, Elenna.” Galadriel avowed. “But your future rests with the dwarves and their quest. Mithrandir will keep you safe as best he could though I do not doubt your skills or swordsmanship.” Galadriel smiled.

Elenna was suddenly glad that Celeborn trained her all those years. She began to wonder if her Lady knew of this future before and that was the reason or maybe Elenna was reading too far into it. The human sighed softly and grabbed Galadriel’s hand, holding it to her cheek. “I understand,” Elenna whispered.

“You may know Mithrandir as Gandalf the Grey. I will introduce you to him soon and then he will introduce you to the dwarves. I will be leaving soon after with Arwen. Elrond will send his guard so you need not worry about the two of us.” Her Lady explained, her cool grey eyes staring into Elenna’s green orbs.

Elenna turned away, hiding a smile. She was happy that Galadriel thought to tell her about the guard. “I am glad,” She whispered, a faint giggle following the words. Elenna was not sure how to feel about the fact that she would not be waiting on Lady Galadriel for quite a while, it seemed. She thought of something, and asked, “May I fetch your breakfast one last time, then?”

Galadriel laughed softly. She stood up and held her hand out to Elenna, which the girl took without hesitation. “How about we eat together?” Galadriel suggested with a radiant look on her face.

Elenna tore her gaze from the elven beauty and nodded quickly, eager to spend any remaining time she had left with her Lady. “I would like that, my Lady.” Elenna told her happily.

The emerald eyed woman decidedly banished all other thoughts and questions about this quest with the group of dwarves from her mind. She trusted Galadriel and if she said she was needed with them, then so be it. Although it did make Elenna wonder just what a group of dwarves and a wizard could not handle...


	5. A Wizard, 13 Dwarves, and 1 Hobbit

After a great breakfast and spending most of the afternoon with Galadriel, the Lady of Lórien brought Elenna to an area with a beautiful gazebo that overlooked a garden with a waterfall. The setting sun reflected off the mist spraying the flowers and plants, creating a faint rainbow. Elenna pointed it out to Galadriel and the two watched as a hummingbird zipped thought it. Elenna laughed. The sound of footsteps pulled her attention away from the hummingbird. She turned around and saw who she assumed was the wizard her Lady told her about, Gandalf the Grey.

Galadriel stepped forward, in between the two of them. “Mithrandir, this is Elenna Arandür,” The fair-haired elf turned to the human girl and motioned to come closer. Elenna obeyed, her stark green eyes staring curiously at Gandalf, or who her Lady called _Mithrandir_. “Elenna, this is Gandalf the Grey. You will be travelling with him, a hobbit, and the dwarves.”

Elenna nodded her head in understanding. She paused, reflecting over Galadriel’s words. “Wait, a hobbit?” The young human never noticed a Hobbit among the company of dwarves; not from when she first saw them enter Rivendell and surely not when they were... bathing. Her cheeks colored at the memory and Elenna cleared her throat. “I did not realize they had a companion.”

Gandalf nodded. “He is to be our burglar, so I guess it’s a good thing you never saw him.” He said jokingly. Although his smile wilted when he saw Galadriel giving him a pointed look. “Not that we need a burglar, per-say.” The old wizard coughed as he smoothed the wrinkles from his robes.

Elenna giggled, which earned her the same look from her Lady. Elenna dropped her smile and Galadriel reached up and ran her fingers through her hair softly, a far-off look in her eyes. “Mithrandir,” Galadriel turned to the wizard. _“Please take care of her.”_

The wizard gave a nod and a reassuring smile as he cupped Galadriel’s hands in his. ‘ _You have nothing to fear, my lady. I will watch over her carefully._ ’ Came his reply. Galadriel smiled.

Elenna stared in between the two, suddenly feeling like she was interrupting something. Galadriel turned back to Elenna and put her hand on the girl’s cheek. “Elenna, Mithrandir will look after you. I will be returning to Lórien soon with Arwen.” The Lady of Light said softly. “This is where we part.”

The emerald eyed woman cast her eyes away from Galadriel. Never in her life would she ever have thought to hear those words from her Lady. But here they were and here they were being said. Although Elenna knew it was only for a short time and that she would see Galadriel again, it still saddened her. Her eyes found Galadriel’s and she lightly touched her Lady’s hand still warm against her cheek. “I will miss you, my lady.”

“And I you, Elenna.” Galadriel whispered. The tall elf leaned down and placed a kiss on Elenna’s forehead. She pulled away and smiled down at the human. Galadriel turned and put a hand on Gandalf’s shoulder before leaving the two in silence. Elenna watched Galadriel go before turning her gaze to Gandalf.

“So, this quest...” She began, her green eyes scanning the wizard’s face. “I have the feeling that your dwarven friends won’t like me tagging along.” Elenna mumbled as she finally looked away from the wizard. After all, she was only human. Not to mention, a female. Elenna was sure some would have a problem with her but she decided to try and not let it bother her. Besides, it was not like she was completely helpless.

‘ _I know how to fight. I can fend for myself, surely._ ’ Elenna thought stubbornly. She did not go through all that training with Celeborn all for nothing. She was good with a sword and even better with a bow, at least that was what he told her. Suddenly, Elenna was having doubts. She furrowed her brow and thought back to all the hard days of training. ‘ _No, I can definitely fend for myself._ ’ The emerald-eyed woman decided as she nodded to herself.

Gandalf just chuckled at her as she was lost in her thoughts. He thought over her words and chewed on his lip. “Maybe at first but you must find a way to gain their trust. Some will be more accepting than others, you’ll see.” The wizard spoke softly as he beckoned for Elenna to follow him. “I will introduce you to them now but just know we will not be leaving for a few more days, it seems.”

“Why?” Elenna asked.

Gandalf paused, “We must wait for a crescent moon on a midsummer’s eve, I’m afraid.” As he spoke, he continued on, showing Elenna the way to where the dwarves were being housed during their stay in Rivendell.

At the wizard’s words, Elenna thought of the moon from the previous night. “That will be soon, won’t it?” She scrunched her features, deep in thought. “And midsummer’s day is coming up soon, so–” Elenna fell silent as she bumped into Gandalf, who had stopped walking. She took a step back, rubbing her nose as she peered around the wizard to see why he stopped. “ _Oh_...”

A whole slew of dwarves had stopped what they were doing and their eyes were on the two of them. More specifically, Elenna. The green eyed girl panicked and hid behind Gandalf. She knew she was going to meet them, that she would _have to meet them,_ considering she was to join them on their quest – but now, standing in front of the group, it was all a little over-whelming.

Gandalf at least seemed to know what she was thinking, so he pulled her over to the corner, away from most of the group and sat her down. “Just sit here, Elenna. I will go talk to Thorin about the... arrangements. When it comes time to introduce you to him, I’ll wave you over, okay?” The wizard patted her head and went on his way.

Elenna watched him maneuver through the groups of dwarves and make his way to whom she assumed was Thorin, probably the leader of the group. The dwarf was tall despite being from a race normally shorter than Man. He had wavy, dark hair with some white strands decorated in the mix, and piercing, stormy blue eyes. Elenna averted her eyes and wondered just what she was going to be getting into.

She idly ran her fingers through her hair and remembered she forgot to properly brush it. Elenna sighed and tried her best to brush it out and make it look neat. She faltered when she realized that she would probably not care about her hair or appearance when she is travelling and possibly swinging a sword at something that will need to die. Elenna gasped. ‘ _I did not think of that... Do I need to kill? Can I kill? I am sure if my life or another person’s life depended on it..._ ’ The young human thought of how she would die to protect her Lady. She thought of another thing. ‘ _Would I die to protect these dwarves...?_ ’

“Hey!”

Elenna jumped and looked up, seeing one of the dwarves standing in front of her. It was one she had not met before. Again, the dwarf, _being a dwarf_ , was pretty tall. He had dark brown hair that fell just past his shoulders and warm, brown eyes. Unlike the others, he had stubble on his face but no beard. It made Elenna confused because she had read that they took pride over their beards, or something like that.

“I’m Kíli, what’s your name?” The dwarf asked, staring at her expectantly. “I’m sure it’s something pretty like... Alora, or Revenna, or maybe it’s Sylvia?” His random guesses made Elenna laugh. Kíli blinked and tilted his head. “What?” He asked, smiling in turn.

“I am sorry to disappoint but none of those are my name,” Elenna replied, ducking her head. Her fingers were still brushing through her hair as she replied, “My name is Elenna.”

“Elenna...” Kíli whispered. He grinned, “That is a beautiful name.”

Elenna shrugged, “I suppose it has its charms,” The green eyed girl replied. She paused and turned back to the dwarf, “You said your name was Kíli, right?”

“Yup! At your service, my lady.” He winked.

Elenna stared as she was reminded of Arwen’s older brothers, Elladan and Elrohir. Only having known them for a mere day or two was not much but Elenna was picking up on the same vibes. She scratched her cheek, not sure of how to respond exactly. But before she could say or do anything, another dwarf came up behind Kíli. “Kíli, will you stop bothering every woman you see?”

“Fi!” Kíli spun around, looking slightly abashed. “I am not bothering every woman I see, brother!” He said in a hushed whisper, sparing Elenna a glance. “I was just introducing myself.” Kíli stated with a smile on his face.

Elenna looked to the blond haired dwarf, “He was not bothering me.” She told him, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “Honest.”

The blond haired dwarf stared at her for a moment before turning his gaze to Kíli. “Well, then just let me know if this guy bothers you, my lady, and I will gladly take care of him for you.” He smiled as he ruffled Kíli’s dark brown locks, earning a shove to his shoulder from the slightly taller dwarf. The blond chuckled and turned back to Elenna, his blue eyes staring into her green orbs. “I am Fíli, son of Dís.”

“Elenna,” The fair-haired woman replied. Elenna noticed Gandalf waving to her from behind the two dwarves. She stood up and brushed the wrinkles from her dress, the nerves coming back full force. “Excuse me.” Elenna pardoned herself and walked up to Gandalf, staring up at the wizard.

“Elenna, this is Thorin Oakenshield, son of Thráin.” The old wizard introduced the dwarf. He put a hand on Elenna’s shoulder and pulled her in front of him. “Thorin, this is Elenna Arandür. She is the one who will be accompanying us on our journey.” Gandalf gave her shoulder a pat.

The emerald-eyed woman offered the dwarf a smile. “I hope I can be of some use to your company, master dwarf.” Elenna said.

Kíli came up next to her with a grin on his face. “Oh, Uncle is no ordinary _master dwarf_ , no – he is King Under the Mountain! And we will take back Erebor from the fiery clutches of the dragon Smaug!”

Elenna stared at Kíli. “I’m sorry... The fiery clutches of the _dragon_ Smaug?” She repeated his words slowly, as if she were still trying to decipher them. “This quest is about killing a dragon?” Elenna whispered, her green eyes wide.

Kíli nodded. “Oh, yes! And saving our home from which he robbed of us many years ago.” He said, determination flashing in his soft, brown eyes. “Why?” Kíli asked a moment later, blinking up at Elenna and Gandalf.

“Lady Elenna is to be joining us on our quest.” Thorin answered as he leveled Kíli with a brief glare.

Kíli's grin dropped as his mouth slowly formed an ‘o’ shape. “ _Wait_ ,” He suddenly smiled, “That means that I will be seeing more of you?” Fíli came up behind him and lightly smacked Kíli upside the head. Kíli pouted at his brother. “Ow.”

Fíli shook his head. “Try not to scare the lass, Ki.” The older of the two sighed at his antics.

First it was Bofur with Bilbo, now it was Kíli with Elenna. Fíli looked to his uncle, staring at him with uncertainty. “Is it all right to bring her with us, uncle?” The blond haired dwarf asked quietly.

It took Thorin a moment to give a nod of confirmation. “Our wizard has insisted that she come on this quest. Although I already told him that I cannot promise to keep her safe or have any _distractions_.” With the last word, Thorin turned his stormy blue eyes to Kíli, who shrunk under his gaze.

“Uhm,” Elenna raised her hand, capturing their attention. “I’ve had extensive weapon training, so I should be able to hold my own in battle... And I will try not to be disruptive.” She promised, despite her confusion over the matter. “The dragon, though... _Erm_ , I will get back to you.”

Kíli laughed, earning himself another light smack from Fíli. He turned and glared at Fíli, who only smiled in return. Thorin was the one to speak next, “If you can wield a sword then that puts us at ease, if only a little.”

Elenna accepted his answer. After all, she would need to earn their trust – but that went both ways. All she knew is that her Lady needed her here, so here she shall stay. For as long as needed, Elenna will see this quest to the end, even if it ended in dragon fire and ruin. Which, of course, she hoped it would not.

Thorin cleared his throat and motioned for the rest of the dwarves to come forward. They all got up from what they were doing and shuffled forward, eyes staring at their leader and King. “Everyone, this is Elenna Arandür. She will be apart of this company from here on out.” The dwarven leader eyed Gandalf but waved Balin over.

“Elenna, this is Balin. He will write up a contact for you to sign.” With that, Thorin went on his way.

Elenna was left to stare at the older dwarf in front of her. She bowed her head politely. “As he said, I am Elenna.” She felt the need to introduce herself properly. The human wondered what the contract would entail but decided to wait until Balin handed it to her instead of bugging the older dwarf about it.

Balin gave her a smile and nod. “Balin, son of Fundin. I’ll admit I’m glad that you know how to use a weapon, lass. You will certainly be a breath of fresh air compared to all these lads.” He motioned a dwarf over. Balin clapped him on the shoulder, “This here is my brother, Dwalin.”

“Elenna...” She repeated her name, staring at the dwarf. He was taller than the other dwarves and had tattoos on his bald head. He had scars and a mean look to him, or perhaps that was just the look he was giving Elenna, with his narrowed blue eyes trained on her. She averted her eyes, feeling under inspection and judged.

Dwalin scoffed. “I don’t understand why we need to string along some woman but just know if you get in my way, I won’t be nice about removing you from it, _lass_.”

“Peace, brother.” Balin shook his head. He turned to Elenna, “Cut him some slack, he just isn’t used to dealing with... you.” The white haired dwarf finished awkwardly, not wanting to insult the girl. He cleared his throat and turned around, telling Elenna that he would start on her contract, and walked away.

Next, she was approached by a familiar face which she was glad for. “Hello, Bombur.” Elenna greeted the big dwarf. The dwarf next to him gave the ginger-haired dwarf a scandalous look before elbowing him out of the way. He took off his hat and leaned forward in greeting, “Not sure how you know my brother here, but I am Bofur. Surely he has said many a great things about me. Yes, they are all true.” The brown haired dwarf grinned up at her.

He plopped his hat back on his head and pulled the other dwarf forward. “This here is our cousin, Bifur.” He patted the brown eyed dwarf’s shoulder. “Don’t bother talking to him because he can only speak Khuzdul and sign in Iglishmêk.” Bofur told Elenna, offering her a faint shrug.

“I did not know dwarves had a sign-language...” She murmured over this new information.

“Aye,” Bofur nodded, leaning closer to her. “We dwarves are very secretive and don’t want nobody to know our secrets.” He whispered, even going as far as to wink at her.

Elenna stared with furrowed eyebrows. “I see...” She mused.

Beside Bofur, his cousin Bifur gave him a pointed look before moving his hands about in front of him. Bofur snorted, “See? I’ve already said too much.” He chided himself. Before he could say anything else, Bombur came up behind them and pulled both away, not before wishing Elenna a good night. “Talk to you later!” Bofur called over his shoulder.

Elenna looked away, still feeling over-whelmed by everything. She heard more footsteps and looked up to see a kind-looking, grey haired dwarf with a rather intricate hairstyle approaching. He had a smile on his face as he pulled along a nervous looking, brown haired dwarf. “Hello, my lady. I am Dori, these are my younger brothers, Ori,” Dori patted the nervous one’s shoulder before pointing behind them, “And that’s Nori.”

Elenna followed to where he was pointing and saw the very dwarf from the night in the kitchen. Suddenly, the question of whether or not he returned the cutlery sprang into her mind. She decided against saying anything, though, not wanting to put him on spot in front of everyone. The green eyed woman turned her attention back to Dori and smiled, “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh, the pleasure is ours.” He smiled before pulling Ori away back to their other brother, who was watching Elenna with calculating, dark green eyes. Elenna looked away and spotted another pair of dwarves coming her way. She briefly wondered just how many there were but then realize that they were the last two to introduce themselves to her.

“Hello, lass. I am Glóin and this is my brother, Óin.” The reddish-brown haired dwarf introduced himself and his brother. “Óin is the healer of this here group, so let him know if you need anything.” With that, the two brothers left Elenna to stand alone.

Or, at least she thought she was alone, until she heard a voice beside her. “I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself yet!” Elenna nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She took a couple steps back and saw a being smaller than the dwarves and immediately she knew it was the hobbit. He looked as alarmed as she felt, as he waved his hands about in front of him. “I didn’t mean to startle you! Sorry.” He apologized.

“No, I’m sorry.” Elenna returned. “I did not see you were there...” The emerald eyed woman admitted sheepishly.

The hobbit nodded. “Yes, I am... quite short. Uh, _anyway_ , I am Bilbo Baggins.” Bilbo gave her a kind smile as he held his hand out. Elenna stared at his outstretched hand but accepted it. The hobbit shook her hand, making her giggle. Bilbo stared up at her with confusion.

Elenna flushed. “Sorry, it’s not _you_. I just... had different experiences, I suppose.” She mumbled, not sure how to explain what Arwen’s brothers had done before without making it sound odd. She wet her lips and waved her hand, “Ehm, just forget it.” She laughed it off.

Bilbo nodded as he turned his head to peer at the ground of dwarves. He leaned in close to Elenna, whispering, “You and I are the ones who stand out from the bunch. We’re the odd ones out.” The brown haired hobbit balanced on the balls of his feet. “Aside from Gandalf. But Gandalf is spoken for... He’s a wizard.”

“Yes...” Elenna agreed, staring Bilbo’s view on the two of them. A hobbit and a human did seem like a troublesome pair compared to mighty, dwarven warriors on a quest to reclaim their home from a dragon. She turned to Bilbo, curious, “Are all hobbits burglar’s? Or is that just your profession?”

Bilbo whipped his head to her, sputtering. “What?” He cried out. “No! _No._ Don’t listen to, _ohh-!_ Did Gandalf tell you that? Because I am _not_ a _burglar_!” The brown eyed hobbit whispered harshly. When some of the dwarves glanced their way, Bilbo cleared his throat and lowered his voice. He leaned closer to Elenna, “Just don’t take what Gandalf says about me seriously, okay?”

Elenna nodded, amused. “All right.” She agreed to go along with Bilbo.

The young human conversed with the hobbit, finding his company much more appealing than those of the dwarves. It was not until later on when Gandalf approached the pair and cleared his throat to get their attention. “I am glad to see you getting along with someone but we should all be getting our rest.” The grey wizard said, motioning for Bilbo to take his leave.

The hobbit agreed and nodded before going on his way. Elenna stood as well, but lingered by Gandalf. “So we are not leaving until midsummer’s day, yes?” She just wanted to be sure. There was still things Elenna needed to take care of. Such as getting weapons and provisions, along with some other things she would need for travelling.

Gandalf nodded. “Oh, yes. The dwarves have a map that needs to be read but it can only happen on midsummer’s eve.” The wizard supplied as he stroked his long beard. “Anyway, return to your room and get some rest, Elenna.” He gave the woman a smile before turning around to likely do the same.

Elenna followed his words and retreated back to her quarters. She was sad that she missed Galadriel and Arwen’s departure but was happy she at least got to spend some time with her Lady before going off to meet the Gandalf and the rest of the company. Elenna yawned, realizing she was more tired than she originally thought, and changed before cuddling into the soft, silky blankets in her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure who I should pair Elenna with, if anyone. I guess we'll see how the story goes. Unless anyone has any idea's? ☺
> 
> Also, it's my head-cannon that Kíli will hit on any girl that breathes. Maybe Bofur, too - since he's just charming like that. Haha :P
> 
> Thanks for reading! ♥


	6. Preparation and Dinner Time

_A loud scream roused her from her dreamless sleep._

_Elenna shot up from the furs she slept on and moved back until she hit the iron-wrought bars of the wagon. The night air chilled her or perhaps it was the all the screams that terrified her. The fire the men had lit flickered violently as people and horses raced by. Elenna was not entirely sure what was happening because everything was happening too fast._

_She squinted her green eyes and jumped when she heard metal clash against metal. The young child frantically searched the area, her hands gripping the bars that caged her in. Elenna looked to the corner of the cage and was reminded that they had already dropped the girl off with her new master a day prior. She was alone. Terrified and alone._

_Elenna backed away from the bars and into her corner, her small hands reaching up to cover her ears from the sounds of battle. She squeezed her eyes shut and wished that she was with her mother, safe in her arms and away from the scary men._

_The blond haired girl was not sure how much time had passed or when the fight was over but when she heard the sound of the door being unlocked, it jolted her from her curled-up position on the floor of the wagon. Elenna shot up in fear, her wide green eyes landing on a tall man with silvery-blond hair and blue eyes. The stranger reached his hand out but paused when she flinched back._

_His eyes softened at her reaction. He turned his out-stretched hand around, his open palm to her. He was patient as she stared at it, unsure. Slowly and hesitantly, Elenna reached forward, her shaky fingers connecting with his hand..._

Elenna stirred from her sleep.

She blinked her eyes, still heavy with sleep. The young woman felt something on her cheek and when she reached up to wipe at her face, she realized it was a tear. Elenna sighed softly and sat up in her bed, rubbing at her eyes. She sat there for a few minutes, collecting her thoughts as she stared out the open balcony. The rays of sun were peaking over the mountains and making the waterfall golden in appearance. She smiled softly.

Deciding that she did enough moping that morning, Elenna got out of bed. She left her room to go bathe. Elenna figured that she may as well enjoy it while she still had the chance because she was sure bathing was not a luxury travelling on the road. Especially with a group of dwarves.

After getting clean, Elenna was dressed and ready for breakfast. She made her way down to the kitchen and was surprised to see the elves moving about, attending to their usual duties. Elenna briefly wondered if Bombur already got food or if the elves managed to talk him and the other dwarves to stay out of the kitchen. The green eyed woman shrugged to herself and went about her business.

Elenna made herself food and retreated back into her room. There she felt somewhat empty – and blamed it over the fact that she was not doing her usual duties of making breakfast for Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn. Now that her Lady was gone it made her feel even emptier than earlier – despite the food she consumed.

‘ _I will have to get used to it, I do not think I will be doing much cooking_ _for others during this quest_ _._ ’ Elenna surmised. She remembered one of the dwarves saying something about being secretive and she already knew that they were suspicious of any who were not a dwarf themselves. So it seemed she was at a disadvantage when it came to earning trust. Maybe that was why she enjoyed Bilbo’s company more than the dwarves. She thought back to the ones who spoke openly to her and came to a decision, ‘ _I guess a few of them are nice._ ’

When she finished eating, Elenna brought her dishes back to the kitchen and scrubbed them clean. She dried off her hands and made a point to walk in the direction of where the dwarves were staying. She found it a tad odd how they refused separate rooms but assumed it was because of their suspicious-nature. The fair-haired woman also wanted to get used to being around them and vice-versa – seeing as they were all about to spend some time together.

The emerald eyed woman followed the steps down to the corner where they made their camp. She could see the pit of a fire that burned out through the night, pieces of furniture laying a few feet away. Elenna raised her eyebrow, wondering if the elves of Rivendell were all right with the dwarves destroying their stuff to feed their fire. “Hello, Elenna.”

Elenna peered to her right, seeing the only golden-haired dwarf approach her. She eyed his light colored hair and her curiosity got the better of her, so she asked, “Is blond hair uncommon for dwarves?” Elenna glanced at the others who were all spread out in smaller groups, talking amongst themselves. She glanced back to the dwarf, Fíli – she believes, and clarified, “It’s just – you are the only one...”

Fíli blinked and stared up at the human woman. He cracked a smile, lowering his gaze. “It _is_ pretty rare. I know my uncle Frerin had blond hair...” The golden-haired dwarf went silent, his smile melting from his face. “Perhaps I’ve said too much...?”

Elenna gave a small shrug. “Perhaps, but how will we ever learn to trust each other if we do not share memories, or worries, or words of wisdom, and such?”

“I may not be known as _wisest_ amongst our company,” Fíli began, amused, “But I _do_ have worries. And memories.” He added fondly. Elenna smiled in turn. The golden-haired dwarf peered up at her, wondering aloud, “Do you have any worries?”

“ _Oh_ ,” Elenna scoffed playfully, “I have plenty of worries. Actually,” She made a face. “I have not stopped worrying about my Lady. She is traveling back home with Arwen; Lord Elrond sent a group of guards with them – but alas, I still worry.” Elenna sighed, glad to have that off her chest. She looked at Fíli and flushed in embarrassment. She apologized quickly, “Sorry.”

Her apology pulled Fíli from his stupor. The dwarven warrior shook his head, his braids flailing about. “No, it’s fine. Like you said, it’s about trust.” Fíli smiled up at the human woman.

Elenna returned his smile. But before either of them could say anything else, Kíli came barreling towards the two blond’s. He tripped over his boots and stumbled forward, nearly having fallen if Fíli did not step in to help. Kíli regained his balance and grinned sheepishly. “Hi. Sorry,”

“Be careful, Kíli,” Fíli chided, eyeing his wobbly brother. The golden-haired dwarf narrowed his eyes, suspicious of Kíli's unusual nature. “What has happened?”

Kíli stared, his bashful smile disappearing. “Uhm, nothing!” He chirped, earning himself another look from the older of the two. After a moment, he caved. “Okay, Bofur and Nori _may_ have been walking around and they _may_ have infiltrated the elves reserves and taken some elven wine?” As Kíli explained himself, he gave his brother a squinted-look, as if expecting to be blamed.

Fíli just nodded, his arms crossed over his chest. He pressed on, “And?”

The darker haired dwarf frowned and looked away. “And what?” He huffed. Fíli raised his brow. Kíli stared at his older brother and eventually caved. “ _Okay_ , so I may have drank some... But only a little! That stuff is strong.” Kíli grinned.

“Oh, Kí,” Fíli rolled his eyes. “Does uncle know?”

Kíli's grin faltered. “Uhh, it’s probably best if he was not informed...” The dark haired prince looked to Elenna. “Please don’t tell uncle!”

“Uncle?” Elenna repeated, confused.

Kíli shared a look with Fíli, and nodded. “Yeah, Thorin is our uncle.”

“Oh, right.” Elenna laughed. “I’m sorry, I forgot...” The woman smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. She paused, staring at the material. “I need to go, but I shall see you later,” Elenna turned around, speed walking away from the two dwarves. Seeing as they were leaving in a matter of a couple days, she needed to find more suitable clothes for traveling.

Elenna went to her room first.

She looked through the clothing which she brought from Lothlórien and sighed. Most were for looking the part of a hand maiden or lady-in-waiting. Nothing suitable for traveling and possibly stabbing creatures – much less a dragon. Elenna groaned and walked into the bath room. She glanced down at the toilet and grimaced. ‘ _How am I supposed to... to do my... business?_ ’

Before Elenna could think further on the topic, she noticed a bag from the corner of her eye. Elenna turned and stared at the bag, half-hidden behind a large vase which held a big plant. She pulled it out and gasped, seeing that it was one of the few bags Galadriel brought with her. Elenna had not helped her pack it as it just showed up the day they were leaving. For it to end up in her room, however, perplexed her. Elenna put it on her bed and wondered if she should inform Lord Elrond.

Curiosity got the better of her – as it always does – and she opened the bag. “What...” Elenna was surprised to see proper traveling clothes inside. Some of it belonged to her and some garments were new. She stood back, her mind wandering back to her Lady. ‘ _My lady must have done this... She must have known about this from before we left. She planned to bring me along and leave me with the dwarves._ ’

Elenna felt a pang of hurt in her chest but pushed the feeling away. ‘ _Obviously, she packed these for me. So I should be grateful._ ’ Elenna gave a nod, smiling. The fact that she did not have to run around panicking, looking for proper clothes, made her feel better. Now all she needed was some sort of weapon. The fair-haired woman figured she would talk to Lord Elrond about that; she definitely would have noticed if either of them packed a sword or some other weapon.

There was a soft knock on the door which pulled Elenna from her thoughts. She walked over and opened it, revealing the one and only Lord Elrond. Elenna blinked. “Oh, Lord Elrond... I was just thinking of you. Ehm, as in – I was thinking of talking to you about...” The woman fell quiet as she looked down, noticing the sword the half-elven man presented to her. She finished lamely, “About that.”

Elrond chuckled. He motioned for Elenna to take the sword from him, which she did. Elenna stared at the beautifully crafted sword. It had intricate designs fashioned into the steel, giving it an elegant appearance. The human girl did not want to think of what it would become, covered in their enemies blood. She pushed the dark thoughts from her mind and looked up to Elrond. “Thank you, Lord Elrond.” Elenna smiled.

“It is no problem, Elenna.” The half-elven lord replied with a nod of his head. “Lady Galadriel also wanted me to give you some provisions. The kitchen staff worked hard to replicate your waybread but it may not be up to standards.”

Elenna accepted the bag from Elrond and looked inside to see bread packed inside the mallorn leaves from home. “Lembas...” She stated, surprised. “Thank you.” Again, she thanked the brown haired elf before her.

Elrond gave the woman a smile and turned around. “Have a good afternoon, Elenna. Do not be afraid to join us for dinner.” The tall elf was about to take his leave but he stopped, peering at Elenna over his shoulder. “Tomorrow night we will have a feast so if you would like to inform the dwarves–”

“I will let them know.” Elenna smiled.

The lord of Rivendell returned the sentiment and took his leave. Elenna closed the door with a soft click and put the sword and bag of lembas on her bed, next to her travel bag. She stared at the items and wondered if she would need anything else. She already had a satchel for water. Boots for walking long distances. Elenna figured she was good for now. If she thought of anything later on, she would make sure to get it before their departure.

♦ ♦ ♦

The setting sun cast a soft glow over Rivendell, washing everything in soft, orange hues. Elenna appreciated the beauty of it; watching a waterfall run the color of gold. She studied the flowers and picked one up off the ground. It had wilted and fallen from the bushel. Elenna picked the wilted petals off and stared at what was left.

_The strange, new place she was in was beautiful. Beautiful in an other-worldly way. It was something she has never seen; trees as high as the sky and as big as houses. In fact, the biggest one was a home to the elves. Caras Galadhon. Elenna remembered what the elf man had called it. Lothlórien._

_She was left in a room with food and water late last night. It was now morning and Elenna was still awake. The young girl was not sure what she was doing here with elves but surely they were better than the men she was with. At least the elves did not seem to want to enslave her._

_Elenna sighed and wrapped the blanket tighter around her. It was comforting, reminding her of her mother’s warm and calming embrace. Tears stung her eyes and she wiped them away, biting her lip. She peered around the room and wondered what was next. ‘Am I to stay here? Or will they send me on my way? What of the others back at the encampment?’_

_The thoughts flurried in her mind. Just when they were about to become to much, Elenna stood and slowly walked to the window. It was carved out of the giant tree and framed by vines and flowers. The young girl stared at the flower, reaching forward and touching the soft petals. She picked one free, gasping when a thorn pricked her finger._

_Elenna stared at her finger, watching as a bead of blood dripped down and onto the floor._

The sound of shoes scuffing the grass somewhere behind her pulled Elenna from her memories. She shook her head from her vivid daydream and turned around, spotting the source of the noise. It was the dwarf who she caught stealing silver-wear from the elves. Nori, she believed.

He stood there, staring at her. Elenna suddenly felt awkward, so she looked away. “Uhm, hello...” The fair-haired woman glanced back to the dwarf. “It is Nori, I hope?”

Nori snorted, but nodded his head. “Aye.”

“There’s just so many of you and most of you have matching names, so I hope I don’t get anyone confused, so I’m going to say sorry in advance, and–” Elenna was standing now, staring curiously down at the dwarf. “And is that a dwarf-thing? The matching names? Oh, I have nothing against it – it’s endearing in a way, actually...”

Elenna went quiet. “I’m rambling. Sorry.” She apologized, flushed from embarrassment.

Thankfully, she noticed that the dwarf before her looked more or less amused than annoyed by her. So Elenna guessed that he was one of the nicer ones, seeing as he was not glaring or glowering at her. She cleared her throat and kept her eyes anywhere but Nori.

“We were just about to eat,” Nori spoke. “Maybe you will join us?”

Elenna turned her gaze back to him. “With Lord Elrond?”

Nori gave her a judging look, “ _No_.”

“Oh,” Said Elenna.

“Just... Come on.” Nori motioned for Elenna to follow him back to where they were all set up. Elenna watched him walk and briefly looked around, waiting as if someone would come out and say something. However, no one did, so Elenna trailed after the dwarf with the odd hair.

‘ _I guess this is something I should get used to. Although I was going to take Lord Elrond’s offer and join the elves... Oh, but then I could inform the dwarves of the feast he is planning before we leave._ ’ She made up her mind as she followed Nori. They rounded the corner and already Elenna could smell meat cooking, opposed to the preferred greens the elves ate. It made her stomach growl and she hoped that Nori was too distracted by his approaching brother to notice.

“Nori!” The smaller brother, Ori, chirped. He turned his smiling face onto Elenna, and suddenly he went shy. “Oh, hello, lady Elenna.”

“Hello, Ori.” Elenna was proud she remembered his name. He was small and adorable, being all shy in front of her. Plus his name was easy to remember. “How are you?”

Ori briefly glanced at Nori, who patted him on the shoulder before walking away, then turned his brown eyes back to the human woman. “I am fine, thank you for asking,” He said politely. “How are you?”

Elenna mulled over the question. “I guess I’m fine. Kind of worried, a little excited, very apprehensive about this quest. Actually,” The fair-haired woman frowned. “I’m more terrified of the dragon part...” Elenna noticed the wide-eyed look Ori gave her and she went silent.

“ _Uh_ , not that dragon’s are scary. I’m sure it’ll be sleepy and maybe he’ll want to leave? Or, _uhm_... You know what? I am sure it will all be fine.” Elenna nodded, giving Ori a smile. Said dwarf gave her an uncertain nod before excusing himself and walking back to his brothers. Elenna turned around and smacked her forehead, cursing herself and her stupidity. ‘ _I did not mean to scare him... Now I feel guilty._ ’

“That looked like it hurt,”

Elenna’s attention snapped to the wizard standing a few feet to her right. “Gandalf!” She cried happily, glad to see a familiar face. “I am glad you are here. Not that you wouldn’t be...” Elenna shook her head. She turned her attention back to the old wizard. “You are staying for dinner, right?”

Gandalf chuckled. “Yes, indeed.”

“Good,” Elenna breathed out. She looked back to Ori, who was talking to his oldest brother, Dori. “I think I may have upset him, or scared him about the whole dragon thing...” She voiced her concern’s to the wizard. She jumped when Gandalf gave her a pat on her shoulder.

“Do not worry about the dwarves, Elenna.” He told her, smiling. “They are strong and stubborn and will be fine.”

“All right,” Elenna agreed. She heard footsteps and turned to see Bilbo approaching them. “Oh, good evening, Bilbo.” The young woman greeted the hobbit.

Bilbo gave her a slight bow, “Good evening, Elenna. Ehm, Gandalf, may I speak with you for a moment? Ah, we’ll just be a second, Elenna. Sorry!” Bilbo wasted no time in pulling Gandalf away from Elenna and the dwarves.

Elenna watched them disappear around the corner and slowly turned to face the group who were all chatting amongst themselves, in their own little groups. She felt awkward and out of place, so she decided to stand and wait for Gandalf and Bilbo to return. Elenna did not get the chance to wait long as Kíli came up to her, a grin on his face. “Elenna, here to join us for supper?”

“I- _uh_ , yeah. I was invited. I’m not... trying to...” The woman fell silent.

Kíli laughed and patted her shoulder gently. “Do not worry! You’ll be having supper with us everyday! Or, at least when we can afford to make it.” The dark haired prince scrunched his face at the thought of not being able to eat.

Elenna thought of mentioning the Lembas bread she was given but the thought was quickly forgotten when one of the other dwarves came up. He clapped her on the back, pulling her along to where he and his brother were seated. If Elenna remembered correctly, the reddish-brown haired dwarf was named Glóin. “Sit with us, lady Elenna.”

Glóin pushed her into a chair next to Óin. Kíli came bounding after them and pulled up a chair to sit on. “I wasn’t done talking, Glóin!” Kíli huffed.

“There will be plenty of time to talk, young one.” Glóin waved the darker haired dwarf off. He pulled his locket out and opened it up, showing it to Elenna. “See here, this is my beautiful wife and my lad, Gimli! He wanted to come along on this quest but he’s too young. Plus he will be safer with his mother.” Glóin nodded.

“Oh,” Elenna stared at the drawings of Glóin’s family. He talked to fast and while trying to listen she got confused between the two pictures and now Elenna was not entirely sure which was which. They both had beards, so it confused her even further. She settled for not saying anything, not wanting to anger Glóin. Elenna gave Glóin a smile, “You have a beautiful family.”

“Bless you, lassie,” Glóin chuckled as he ruffled her hair. He turned to his older brother, Óin, saying something to him before trekking away. Elenna watched him leave and fixed her tousled hair. Kíli just laughed at her misfortune, all in good nature.

Soon enough, Gandalf and Bilbo returned and the food finished shortly after. Plates were passed around, pieces of food flying every which way as they all laughed and joked with each other. Elenna gasped and ducked as a bun went soaring over head. She craned her neck to see it fly and smack Bilbo in the face. The hobbit looked stunned. His shock melted into a small glare and Elenna thought he was about to explode but a small smile crept onto his face. Everyone chuckled in good humor, Bilbo even joining in.

Dining with elves was much more tame. But Elenna thought she could get used to this because at least everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. She smiled, thinking that going on this quest may not be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Elenna does not know what she is getting into.
> 
> :'D
> 
> Thanks for reading thus far ♥


	7. From Rivendell to the Mountains

Tonight was the night.

Tonight, as Gandalf said, was the night where Elrond was going to read the moon runes because it was the night of a crescent moon on a midsummer’s eve. Gandalf was going to allow Elenna to tag along since she was apart of their group now. It was made official the night before – when Balin approached her after dinner with the contract in hand.

Elenna fully intended to read through the entire thing but when she go to the parts about the dragon – and with Bilbo telling her she was better off not knowing – Elenna signed and trusted the hobbit’s word on the matter.

She could not wait until tonight, there was something mysterious and exciting about reading moon runes that only show up at a specific date in time. Now, however, she and the others were invited to the feast Lord Elrond prepared for them. At first, the dwarves were wary on going but Elenna cast her pleading gaze to Gandalf who managed to convince them to attend. He told them to be on their best behavior but everyone knew that would not last long.

Elenna stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She brushed the strands of blond hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. ‘ _I guess I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. No point in loitering around._ ’ Elenna told herself. She turned and exited the room, nearly jumping out of her skin when she bumped into Bofur.

“Whoops! Sorry, mi’lady!” Bofur grinned.

Elenna breathed a sigh of relief, “It is all right, you just startled me...” The young woman paused and looked back at her door before she searched the empty hallway. “Were you waiting here? Or, did you need to speak with me? If you knocked, I am _terribly_ sorry for not hearing you, I just–”

“ _Whoa_ , it’s okay,” Bofur gave her arms a pat. “I was just about to knock, actually. We were all going to meet with the elf lord.”

“Half-elven.” Elenna replied. She faltered, “Not that it’s a bad thing. He’s... _Uhm_ , I... Never mind.” The emerald eyed woman shook her head and pressed on in the direction of the dining area. She slowed to a stop and looked back at Bofur. “Please don’t tell him I said that.”

Bofur held his hands up in defence. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Elenna chewed her bottom lip but nodded. “Okay...”

The two finally arrived to the dining area and Elenna was surprised to see it more festive-looking than when she last seen it. “This is nice,” She commented. There were lanterns hanging from above, giving the area a faint glow and warm feel. The elves were playing beautiful music which Elenna quickly noticed the dwarves did not really care for.

“Wouldn’t you rather be partying it up with us than these guys?” Bofur snarked playfully. “Their funeral music sure dampers down the mood.”

Elenna tilted her head. She never thought of the beautiful music that the elves created to sound like being at a funeral but now that the dwarf mentioned it, she did feel a little melancholy. “I do enjoy their music but I also enjoyed your singing, Bofur. Dwarves do seem to know how to have a good time.” Elenna smiled. “But music is more than just one feeling. I’m sure you have some darker songs, no?”

Bofur held up his hands, “I can’t disagree, lass.” With that, the hat-wearing dwarf took a seat with his brother and cousin.

Elenna looked around, wondering where she was to sit. The table the dwarves sat at were smaller than normal, obviously to accompany their smaller size, so it left Elenna feeling awkward. Behind her, Gandalf cleared his throat, catching her attention. Elenna turned and noticed him patting a chair where he was at. Gratefully, Elenna took the seat.

Bilbo was on the other side of Gandalf and as she peered to his seat, she was amused to see that he was sitting on a pile of books, acting as a booster. She resisted the urge to giggle because the hobbit seemed acutely aware of his predicament; his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Lord Elrond was across from them and on his right, Elenna’s left, was one last empty seat.

Before Elenna had the chance to wonder who was going to be sitting there, Thorin came up and sat down. She looked away, finding that he was the obvious choice. Elenna also noted that Thorin did not require a booster for his chair like Bilbo did. He was still tall for a dwarf, but he did come up shorter than them at the table. He made up for it in spirit though; the atmosphere around him headstrong and haughty.

Elrond did not seem to mind the dwarf’s behavior.

Within a few minutes, when everyone was seated and sorted, the feast began.

♦ ♦ ♦

Elenna followed up behind the small group of Elrond, Gandalf, Thorin, Balin, and Bilbo. Elrond was leading them down to where he would be able to read the runes. The air between the small group was thick and Elenna could tell that Thorin and Balin were pensive about giving an elf their treasured map. Still, Gandalf managed to convince Thorin, despite Balin’s wishes.

Bilbo looked to the young woman, the two sharing a look. Elenna watched Elrond study the map, mumbling to himself. Gandalf assured him that it was simply for educational purposes but Elenna felt that Elrond knew otherwise. The half-elven lord stepped up to a rock bathed in moon light and lay the map flat on the surface.

Elenna watched in awe as runes began to appear on the weathered paper, under the glow of the crescent moon. Elrond read the runes as they appeared, his head tilted. “Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin’s Day will shine upon the key-hole.”

“Durin’s Day?” Bilbo questioned.

Elenna looked to the hobbit as he peered to Balin for the answer, however it was Gandalf who relayed the information. “It is the start of the dwarves New Year – when the last moon of autumn and the first sun of winter appear in the sky together.” The young human imagined it was a sight to see.

From where she stood, Thorin and Balin rushed off to the side, muttering to each other about the runes Elrond read. Elenna looked to Gandalf, who remained tight-lipped. Her emerald eyes slid to Bilbo, seeing that the hobbit appeared just as lost as she was. Thorin turned around, clearing his throat. “Thank you for reading this.” He gave Elrond a firm nod.

Elrond returned the gesture before he looked to Gandalf. “Gandalf,” He caught the wizard’s attention. “May I have a word with you?”

“Of course, old friend.” Gandalf gave him a smile. He motioned for Elrond to lead them back and when the elf turned around, the wizard gave Thorin a warning look. “Do not do anything rash, Thorin Oakenshield.” With that, Gandalf followed after Elrond.

Elenna watched the wizard’s retreating form and glanced to Thorin, who only shook his head. He lead the last of them out and when they entered the clearing, when Elrond and Gandalf were gone, Thorin turned to the three. “No doubt the elf is going to talk to Gandalf about our matters... He will try and stop us.”

Balin nodded. “I agree. What should we do, Thorin?”

Thorin stood still for a few moments, his dark blue eyes cast to the ground. He looked to Balin and raised his head high. “We will leave tonight. Be gone before the elf can stop us from our quest.” Balin nodded and hurried on his way. Bilbo looked panicked for a moment, about to say something when Thorin suddenly turned to the two of them. “Bilbo, go get your things. You, go and get your pack and meet us in the square by the entrance.”

Bilbo made a face but did as he was told, scurrying off after Balin. Thorin turned but stopped and cocked his head, motioning for Elenna to move. “Go, be fast.” He ordered.

“All right...” Elenna did as she was told. Although she did have some qualms about it, she held her tongue. She went to her room and grabbed the things she packed earlier. The fair-haired woman picked up the sword given to her from Elrond and stared at it. She slid it into its sheath and went to meet the dwarves at the square, the same place where she saw them when they first arrived in Rivendell.

Elenna took the familiar steps down to the square, swinging her cloak over her and clasping it. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and peered around the corners to make sure no one was around. Feeling as if she was supposed to be sneaking, Elenna pulled her hood up. ‘ _In a sense, this is kind of exciting..._ ’ Elenna thought, ‘ _But I do not condone sneaking off into the night... Especially since our guests were so kind._ ’

There was also the fact that Elenna was supposed to be with Gandalf. But then again, she was with thirteen dwarven warriors (and a hobbit) – and not to mention the fact that she could protect herself – so Elenna thought it was fine for the moment. She assumed once Gandalf knew they were gone he would catch up.

Elenna made it to the arranged meeting spot and was both relieved and distraught. Relieved because she was not the only one to show and distraught because they were actually leaving. She glanced back up at the buildings in Rivendell, towering over them from the square. Elenna wondered where the guards were but realized that she had seen one at the feast, drinking their elven wine.

“Are we all here?” Thorin came out of some bushes, adjusting his sword before peering around the group. Mentally, he tallied all the members and nodded to himself. “Good, let us be off, then.” The group all moved to the exit.

As they neared the gates of Rivendell, Elenna got the feeling that something bad was going to happen. She kept moving but halted in her tracks when one of the dwarves stopped in front of her. He turned around and Elenna squinted in the dark, barely able to make out that it was Dwalin. “Uhm–”

“Listen here, lass,” Dwalin started, his dark eyes narrowed on her. He took a step closer to her, causing Elenna to take one back. “This is your last chance to back out. I advise you take it.” The dwarven warrior gave her a look.

Elenna looked away, staring at the ground. She knew it was the last chance to leave. But her Lady told her she was needed with the dwarves. Even if they did not know it yet, hell – Elenna did not even know why yet. She wet her lips, her emerald eyes meeting Dwalin’s glaring orbs. “That may be but I already signed a contact, master dwarf.” Elenna told him, raising her chin.

“I will not go back on my word,” She stated. “Now if you will excuse me...” Elenna stepped around the dwarf, catching up with the rest of the group.

Bilbo slowed down to walk next to her. Elenna could feel his eyes lingering on her, so she turned and raised her eyebrow. The hobbit flushed and faltered, “Oh, uh, _you–_ he...” Bilbo coughed, straightening himself out. “Are you all right?”

Elenna nodded, “Yes. He isn’t so tough...” She whispered to Bilbo, making the hobbit smile.

“Are you kidding?” Bilbo retorted, sneaking a glance back to the tattooed dwarf. He jested, “He’s inked up and has a permanent scowl on his face. I also heard that he has names for his axes.”

“Really?” Elenna blinked. She wondered why Bilbo had to tell her that because now she was curious. As much as she wanted to know why and what their names were, she held back her curiosity because she did not want to annoy him more than he already was.

As they walked, Elenna turned her head to peer back at Rivendell. Behind her, Bilbo came to a stop, sharing her view. “I’ll miss it.” Bilbo commented, his eyes squinting as the sun peaked over the mountain top, shining golden light over the valley.

“Yes,” Agreed Elenna.

“Master Baggins, lady Elenna, I suggest you keep up.” Thorin called back to them.

Bilbo glanced back at the dwarf and nodded. Elenna continued after the dwarves, Bilbo following close behind her. She craned her neck to look at the hobbit. “Do you think Gandalf will catch up soon?”

“I hope so.” Bilbo grunted.

Elenna hummed, “What do you think Lord Elrond wanted to talk to him about?” She wondered.

“I am not sure... But either way, Thorin saw it as a threat and now we’re back on the road...” Bilbo sighed. “At least we got to rest in Rivendell for a short while. Even if some of the elves were unkind.”

That made Elenna come to a stop. She turned to Bilbo, “Unkind?” She questioned. The fair-haired woman has been told that elves and dwarves do not usually get along but surely Elrond’s people were wise and kind?

“What happened?” Elenna asked, genuinely concerned.

Bilbo looked up to her and waved his hand, “Ah, it wasn’t really much, but...” He trailed off, his walking stick getting stuck in a hole. He pulled it free and the two continued. “But at some point I heard one of the elves teasing Thorin about his... facial hair.”

“His facial hair?” Elenna repeated.

Bilbo nodded, “Or lack thereof.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Bilbo made a face. “Also one of them said my stomach was fat.”

Elenna stared. “One of the dwarves?”

“No, _no_ , an elf! Don’t know who, though.” Bilbo shrugged. “Either way, needless to say I was offended at first but then I realized I shouldn’t be. You know why?”

“Why?” Elenna echoed.

Bilbo smiled, “Because hobbits value food and the comforts of home. I especially – so if my stomach may be a bit round, then it is because I have had a good life!”

“Wow,” Elenna commented. “That is wonderful, Bilbo. I am happy you have enjoyed your life thus far.”

“Yes, now we just need to survive this blasted quest.” Bilbo’s smile turned into a frown. He stepped over a rock, nearly tripping if he had not steadied himself with his walking stick. “But for me, as a hobbit, I am quite nimble in my movements. Not to mention I have good eye sight.”

“I am sure those are the traits one would want to have, going on such a quest.” Elenna mused. She thought about herself and frowned, “I am not sure what I bring to the table, other than my sword.”

“Oh, _hush_ ,” Bilbo scoffed. “I heard you say you knew how to use one of _these_. So you are most certainly a better swordsman, _ehm_ – swords-woman – than I.” The hobbit coughed.

Elenna giggled. “I guess I have that going for me.”

The two continued to walk at the back of the line, conversing quietly. After an hour or so, the group stopped for a brief rest. They caught their breath and quenched their thirst before moving on through the fields. Thorin, who was at the front with Balin, turned around and yelled at the group, “Move fast! We have a lot of ground to cover before night fall!”

Elenna squeezed the strap of her pack and picked up her pace. She looked beyond, staring at the fields that stretched on for miles ahead of them. Her green eyes could see a forest in the direction they were heading and far beyond the forest was the mountain pass they were to take.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, things are picking up.
> 
> Also Bilbo and Elenna's friendship is cute ♥
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day!
> 
> ♥ ♥ ♥


	8. Down, down, down to Goblin Town

Elenna leaned against a big rock that jutted out of the ground, wrapping her cloak tighter around her body. She was both hot and cold – hot from traveling and the seemingly endless walking and running they did over the plains and through the forest and cold for when the sun fell and the moon rose, the sky turning dark and allowing the night chill to take over.

With the moon high in the sky, Thorin declared for them to set up camp since they traveled long and far, making progress. The dwarven King turned and surveyed the lot, studying everyone until his gaze landed on Elenna herself. She looked away and made herself busy after putting down her pack. The blond found some wood for the fire Glóin was building and added it to the pile.

Elenna stepped back and watched as Bifur and Bofur helped set things up for Bombur so he could cook something. She watched as they pulled out ingredients and vegetables and Elenna had to wonder if they took them from Rivendell or Elrond gave them their provisions. She shrugged and walked over to where Bilbo was lurking. Elenna stopped next to him and peered down at the smaller being, “Should I be doing anything?” She asked.

The hobbit, who just fished out his pipe, paused and looked up at her. He looked around before turning his attention back to his pipe. “Uhh, relaxing?” He suggested before sprinkling some green-stuff into his pipe. Elenna watched as Bilbo pulled a match from his tinder box, striking it against the rock he was leaning on and lit his pipe. She turned her attention from Bilbo and was about to change the subject until she heard Fíli and Kíli whispering about the orcs.

She made a face and Bilbo must have noticed her reaction to their hushed whispers. He forced a quiet laugh out, scratching at his nose briefly, “Orcs...” He said under his breath, turned away from the dwarves. “Before we arrived in Rivendell, we were being chased by some and these huge beasts – looked like wolves but they were called Wargs, I believe. Hmph. Lucky Gandalf had ulterior motives and led us here, I’ll say.” The hobbit nodded his head.

“Oh... I hope they don’t come back.” Elenna said as she took a seat next to Bilbo. She glanced at the sword strapped around her waist, wondering when she would need to use it. Elenna nodded her head in the direction of the two heirs as she spoke to Bilbo, “Do you think _they_ think the orcs are still around or something?”

Bilbo shook his head. “I am not sure, but I certainly hope they aren’t...” He visibly shivered and Elenna was not sure if it was from the chill in the air or the thought of the orcs and wargs. She turned her emerald green eyes to the ground, staring at the grass.

♦ ♦ ♦

The group woke early the following morning and were back to running in a matter of minutes. They ran through the forest, passed the trees and wild animals, weaving between the obstacles to get through to the other side. After a good half day of travel, they finally reached the edge of the forest which opened to reveal the rocky fields of the mountain pass they would take.

They stopped for a break and Elenna watched as Fíli and Kíli walked over to talk to Thorin, Dwalin and Balin, the group muttering between themselves. She could see Kíli motioning wildly while Fíli just shook his head. Thorin looked perplexed but gave a tilt of his head. Balin and Dwalin just shared a look and Elenna had to wonder what exactly they were talking about.

“I wonder what that was about?” Bilbo asked after taking a sip of his water. He put his water skin back and Elenna realized that he had been observing them as well. Before she could tell him anything, though, the hobbit asked another question, his brow furrowed, “Anything we need to worry about?”

Elenna glanced back at the group who now split apart, doing their own thing. She chewed her bottom lip lightly as she too wondered. “I am not sure. I mean, they don’t seem that worried? Although Kili was waving his arms about pretty drastically.”

Bilbo hummed in response. His eyes lit up a moment later, “Oh!” He exclaimed, making Elenna jump. “ _Sorry_ ,” He added sheepishly before returning to his thoughts, “I remembered! Before arriving in Rivendell we were being chased by some orcs and wargs. Maybe they were discussing that? I don’t think we’re being followed... Otherwise we could have been caught by now? Since we are on foot...” Bilbo fell quiet, lost in thought.

Elenna rubbed her arm idly as she mulled over Bilbo’s words. “Does that mean we don’t need to keep running? I think I may have pulled something...” She muttered, holding her side. While she was fit, the young woman has never really ran for days on end before so she was lacking in that particular area of the journey.

Bilbo gave her a look of sympathy. Elenna just took a deep breath and held it briefly before releasing it. She stretched and took a long drink from her water skin before they continued on their path through the rocky slopes.

When the greens of the fields faded and the edged cliffs and jutted slopes turned into staggering mountains, Elenna was beginning to tire. The blue sky turned dark as night fell and dark storm clouds rolled over the mountains. The wind soon picked up and it worried everyone. Sure enough, their worries were answered when rain began to pelt them from above. The sky was illuminated from a bolt of lightening and the deafening boom of thunder followed soon after. The wind blew the rain in their faces and made the trail of the mountain slippery.

An hour into the storm, Elenna’s heart nearly jumped from her chest when Bilbo suddenly shouted, teetering off the edge. He was pulled back by Dwalin who was behind the two and Elenna could see that he looked both shocked and relieved from nearly falling from the edge. “We must find shelter!” Thorin yelled over his shoulder. With the rain and wind howling, it was hard to make out what he was saying.

Just then, Dwalin yelled a warning from behind Bilbo and Elenna, “LOOK OUT!”

A huge, jagged boulder came flying across the pass and crashed into the mountain top above them. The force of the rock caused pieces of the mountain to break off and fall towards them. Luckily, no one got injured although there were a few close calls. Elenna pushed herself back into the cold, wet stone of the mountain, her green eyes wide as Balin then shouted something about a thunder battle.

Across the way, a giant monster made of jagged stone towered over them. Next to Elenna, Bofur yelled something about stone giants from legends but she was too distracted by the giant lifting a huge boulder above its head and flinging it in their direction. The boulder soared over their heads and crashed into another stone giant that was behind their group.

“Hold on!” Dwalin yelled and they all pressed back against the mountain side for safety.

Their safety was short-lived when the mountain they were standing on split in half, ripping half the company away from each other. Next to Bofur, Fíli yelled his brother’s name as the two attempted to reach for each other. The distance grew and Bofur pulled the blond heir back before he could fall off the edge. Elenna squeezed Bilbo’s cloak, holding the smaller being close so he would not fall into the dark abyss.

As it turned out the mountain they stood on happened to be apart of another stone giant. As it clambered up and stood at full length, the dwarves, human and hobbit all teetered on the edge, struggling to stay on. Their giant host was struck by another giant and it fell to the side, sending them tumbling from the force of knocking into the actual mountain. The other half of the group all scrambled to their feet and ran onto the connecting paths before the giant could straighten itself.

The giants swung at each other and when their host managed to knock one back, it was attacked by the other giant. It’s head was knocked clean off by a huge, jagged boulder and the group all yelled as they went flying past the others before coming to a brief halt. Elenna quickly realized that the creature was falling backwards and that the edge they were on was going to be crashing straight into the mountain ahead of them. The giant fell and the closer they came to the edge.

Elenna could only shut her eyes tight and hope that their death would be a swift one. She briefly wondered how it felt to be crushed but hoped it would be so fast that they would feel nothing. But soon her thoughts came to an end when stone crashed into stone, launching the group into a bigger edge of the mountain side.

The fair-haired woman cracked open her eyes when she realized that she was not in agonizing pain. She only felt a dull ache from being thrown into the ground. Elenna sat up straight and peered around, seeing everyone else disoriented but alive. She untangled herself from one of the dwarves and stood up, nearly tripping on someone’s boot.

“Where’s Bilbo!?” Bofur gasped, straightening his hat as he hurried looked about the group. Elenna turned and looked for the hobbit but did not spy him amongst the dazed dwarves. “There!” Bofur shouted as he pointed to the mountain’s edge. Elenna’s heart sank to her stomach when she spotted Bilbo dangling off the side, his hold on the rocky edge tight.

Bofur and Ori went to the edge and tried to reach for him but they were too far. Just when the hobbit was about to slip and fall to his death, Thorin jumped down and helped Bilbo back onto solid ground. The dwarven King nearly fell himself if it was not for Dwalin catching his hand last second. The tattooed dwarf hauled Thorin up, the two pausing to catch their breath.

“I thought we lost our burglar,” Dwalin commented.

Thorin stood and glared at Bilbo over his shoulder. “He’s been lost ever since he left home,” The dwarf muttered as he helped Dwalin to his feet. “He should never have come. He has no place amongst us.”

Elenna was silent, staring at Bilbo as Thorin passed by her with Dwalin, the two walking into what appeared to be an entrance to a cave. “A little help?” She was pulled from her musings by Fíli, who was trying to help Bombur to his feet.

“Sorry,” Elenna replied as she turned and grabbed Bombur’s other hand. Together the two got the ginger-haired dwarf to his feet and they all shuffled into the cave after Thorin and Dwalin.

The group stood and surveyed the small cave as Dwalin searched around. When he reported nothing out of the ordinary, Glóin was about to get a fire started but he was stopped by Thorin. The leader of the company told everyone to get some rest for they would leave at first light. Elenna shivered under her wet cloak and walked to a corner.

“We are supposed to wait for Gandalf to meet us here in the mountains. That was the plan, remember?” Balin voiced his concerns to Thorin.

However, the dwarf King shook his head as he replied, “Plans change.” Thorin turned from Balin and instructed Bofur to take first watch before telling everyone to get some rest.

Everyone shuffled about as they picked out their spots in the cave. Not that there was much room to begin with but they all managed. Elenna was happy with her spot in the corner, away from the howling wind outside. She took her cloak off and spread it out as best she could. She wanted it to dry properly. She lay her pack flat on the sandy surface and tried to use it as a pillow however it proved to be very uncomfortable.

Elenna sighed and pushed it away and opted to curl up on her side. With her limbs pulled close to her body, she was at least warmer than before. The blond haired woman closed her eyes and forced herself to even out her breathing. In a way, the storm outside was calming but the damp clothes were annoying. Eventually, though, she managed to fall asleep.

What felt like not even a minute later, Elenna shot up when she heard Thorin yelling something. In her half asleep state, the words did not compute until the ground beneath them gave away and soon they were all falling. Elenna screamed as she tumbled painfully down a rocky tunnel, bumping into dwarves and sharp edges alike.

The members of the company all came flying out of a chute and landed in what appeared to be a huge basket, of sorts. Elenna squeaked as she landed on a pile of dwarves, rolling with the momentum and smacking into the iron plates that formed the basket-shape of what they all lay in.

Elenna was ripped from the present and seemingly thrust back into her past, suddenly reminded of the days of her childhood when she was constantly locked behind bars. Lonely, afraid, hungry, _caged_...

She shook her head violently, the image of her caged room burning away as she came back to reality. Reality did not seem any better as creatures she realized as goblins came charging at them. The goblins grabbed them all and dragged them along the rickety bridged built within the mountain. The dwarves fought to get free but it was all in vain because they were outnumbered by hundreds.

Elenna herself tried to punch one of the goblins but only succeeded into knocking it back until another came up and grabbed her arm. She winced from the pain and used her other hand to reach for her sword when she realized in horror that she left it with her pack back in the cave.

The goblins formed a line on either side of the company, all pushing and shoving as they moved along, bringing them deeper into the goblin infested mountain. They were brought from the closed in bridges and tunnels to a huge opening in the mountain. It was lit with fire lanterns everywhere, makeshift bridges and wooden planks littering the sides and making pathways throughout the entire area.

In a way, Elenna found it very neat and creative however the growing amount of goblins _everywhere_ changed her mind about the place. The green eyed woman flinched when she heard a loud _clang_ echo throughout the huge cave. The goblins were hitting different objects to create music and from what Elenna could see, a huge goblin – one much bigger than the rest – got up from his throne, his arms open wide as he began to _sing_.

“Clap, snap, the black crack! Grip, grab, pinch, and nab! Batter and beat – make them stammer and squeak!” The goblin king sang, his grin unwavering as the company was brought nearer.“Pound, pound, far underground! Down, down, down in Goblin Town!”

“Down, down, down in Goblin Town!” The goblins all echoed.

The company was brought in front of the goblin king, everyone cringing from his singing. “With a swish and smack! And a whip and a crack! Everybody talks when they’re on my rack–” The huge goblin spun around as he sang, “Pound, pound, far underground! Down, down, down to Goblin Town!”

Again, the goblins echoed his song, chatters and laughter echoing in the cave. As the goblin king continued his song, Elenna could only gasp and jump when the goblin next to her was stabbed by its king, soon flung off over their heads. “You can yammer and yelp but there ain't no help! Pound, pound, far underground–” The goblin king stepped back as he took a deep breath, spreading his arms wide as he sung the last part of his song, “Down, down, down in Goblin Town!”

The caves were filled with the cheers of his goblin followers. The goblin king smirked and returned to his spot on his throne, stepping and crushing some of his followers just to get onto it. Elenna made a face as he sat back in his throne and told them about the song being one of his own creations – to which Balin retorted with it being an abomination. The goblins all screeched and squealed in denial while the goblin king simply replied with, “Abominations, mutations, deviations! That’s _all_ your going to find down here!”

The goblins took the few weapons the dwarves still had. Elenna gasped when she felt a hand reach behind her so she turned and elbowed the goblin in the face. The goblin yipped at her before kicking behind her legs, causing her to fall onto her knees. She struggled to push the goblin off her but when he realized she had no weapon on her, he backed off but kept his grip tight on her shoulder.

“Who would be so _bold_ to come armed into my kingdom!?” The goblin king demanded, glaring at all of them. “Spies? Thieves? Assassins!?” He spat out.

“Dwarves, your malevolence.” One of the goblins corrected, his stare fixated on the goblin king.

“Dwarves?” The king repeated. He then ordered his followers, “Search them! Every crack, every crevice!”

Elenna blanched. The goblins began searching them all and Elenna had to smack a few of them for trying to reach into her shirt. “Get off!” She said, disgusted by the looks of some of the goblins. Their attention was pulled away from her when one of the goblins dumped a sack of silver and golden things out.

The goblin handed their king a golden candle holder. The king narrowed his eyes as he read the writing on the bottom. “Made in... Rivendell!”

Elenna could not help the gasp that came from her lips. She looked to Nori and immediately noticed Dori giving his younger brother a dark look. Nori mumbled something about ‘keepsakes’ but they all knew it was stolen goods. The goblin king demanded to know why they were all there.

Óin made a comment about his trumpet being flattened and just as the goblin king was about to come down there and live up to his threat about flattening them, Bofur cut in. He spoke quickly, saying that he was the one with all the information. The goblin king faltered and stared, waiting for an explanation.

Bofur began to prattle on about a path being a track, something about them being on their way to Dunland. Elenna froze at the mention of that place, her veins feeling like ice as she thought back to that night... She would have lost herself in her memories if not for the goblin king shouting, “SHUT UP!”

All the goblins squeaked and ducked, clearly afraid of his wrath. The king grinned at the dwarves, “If they will not talk, we’ll make them squawk!” He turned and motioned for his followers to bring out some rather uncomfortable-sounding torture devices. At least, Elenna assumed they were going to be tortured. “Start with the youngest!”

“Wait!” Thorin cut in, stepping passed the others and walking up to the goblin king.

The goblin king’s eyes widened at the sight of the dwarf king. “Well, well, well – look who it is! Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thrór–” He proceeded to bow, mockingly, of course. “–King, under the Mountain. Oh! But I’m forgetting... You don’t _have_ a mountain.” The goblin king mocked Thorin, the other goblins snickering and giggling quietly.

“I know someone who would pay a pretty price for _your_ head. Just a head – nothing attached.” He chuckled. “Perhaps you know of whom I speak? An old enemy of yours...” The goblin king leaned closer, his voice lowered as he eluded, “The pale orc, a stride of white warg.”

Thorin glared in turn as he spat out, “Azog the Defiler was slain in battle a long time ago!”

“Oh,” The goblin king hummed. “So you think his defiling days are done!?” He laughed darkly as he turned to instruct one of the goblins to send word out.

Elenna peered to Thorin, staring at his unsure expression. She thought that whoever Azog was – this _pale_ _orc_ , the goblin king referred to – was one to be feared, judging by the way Thorin spat out his name and the face he was making at the very thought of the orc being alive. Elenna knew that face, she knew about the fear and hatred one could feel about another.

The emerald eyed woman lowered her gaze, her thoughts drifting away as the goblin kings voice became muddled in her ears, soon drowned out by a ringing as she got lost in a past memory...


	9. The Pale Orc

_The man shoved her back into the corner of the dimly-lit barn house, laughing along with the others. Elenna pushed herself away as far as she could go, backing into the splintered wood behind her. The man stepped forward, towering over her as he grinned maliciously down at her. She lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she wished he would just disappear._

_Sadly, that would never happen._

_One of the men who would come and go in their whole twisted operation said something, causing everyone to laugh louder. Elenna reached up and covered her ears, wanting to drown out their voices but it was hard. The one towering over her, drowning her in his shadow, chuckled as he crouched down in front of her._

_She could feel him grab a few strands of her hair, running in through his fingers and giving it a small tug, making her whimper. He smirked and continued to run his fingers through her blond hair. “You know, you look just like your mother. Except the way we left her, well...”_

“ _Just say she looks like her ma before we left her to burn in that rancid-ass village.” One of his friends jeered._

“ _Right.” The man shook his head, his smirk unwavering. “All I’m trying to say is that your pretty like ‘er...” He pulled up a chunk of her hair to his nose and smelled it, taking in the scent of her._

_The child fumed at the mentions of her mother. All her feelings of fear, sadness and hate that have been bottled up for a while got the best of her. Her small hand tightened into a fist and when the man leaned in closer to her, she swung as hard as she could – unaware of the consequences that would follow._

Elenna snapped from her memory when the goblin king began to sing another song.

She looked around and realized that she was back in the mountain, surrounded by dwarves and goblins – not men. Elenna sighed, somewhat relieved despite the similar position of still being captured. She noticed a group of goblins bringing up the torture devices that the king previously referred to as _the mangler_ and _bone-breaker_.

In the midst of his singing, the goblins around the company all began to push and jostle them as the dwarves tried to break free of them. Elenna craned her neck as the torture devices were pulled up and swallowed. She thought, ‘ _I think I’m too small for that ride._ ’

Just when things were about to get even further out of hand, one of the goblins picked up Thorin’s sword and immediately threw it to the ground when he unsheathed it. All the goblins jumped back in horror, disgusted and afraid as the Goblin King called it the _Goblin Cleaver._

The goblins whipped and punched at the group, kicking and throwing whatever they could at them. Elenna elbowed one of the goblins in the head but that did nothing to deter the attacking creatures. One of them managed to knock Thorin forward, away from the group. They had him pinned and the Goblin King yelled for them to behead the exiled prince.

Just before the goblin could complete its task, a bright, blinding light flooded the goblin caves and knocked them all back. Elenna groaned and kicked a goblin off of her before gingerly pushing herself up. She squinted as the blinding light dimmed and dissipated, revealing Gandalf. Elenna was never more relieved to see the wizard than at that moment.

“Take up arms and fight!” Gandalf yelled to the company. “FIGHT!”

The dwarves yelled as the goblins screamed. They all jumped into the action. The Goblin King watched in horror as he yelled something about Gandalf’s sword. Elenna, however, was too distracted by the sword flying in her direction to notice it, though. She yelped but managed to catch it without injury.

The young woman spun around and sliced at goblin charging towards her from behind. The blade sliced through his skin but it was not deep enough to kill it. Elenna booted the goblin in the chest and watched him stumble back and fall from the shoddy walkway. The fair-haired woman resisted the urge to shout an apology – having to remind herself that the goblins were indeed their enemy.

She heard someone shout Thorin’s name and Elenna turned just in time to see the dwarven leader strike the goblin King’s staff. It bounced off with ease and caused the huge goblin to fall back and over the edge, taking some of his subjects with him. “Hey!” Elenna whipped around at the warning, dodging the swing from one of the goblin’s by a few inches. She turned back and thrust her sword into her attacker, making it screech and hiss in pain.

“Follow me! Quick!” Elenna craned her neck to see Gandalf waving for everyone to follow him. She kicked the creature off her sword and took off after the wizard with the rest of the dwarves.

The next few minutes was a blur of blood and limbs flying, of the clash and singing of metal against metal. Their group came to a bridge and just before they could cross, the goblin King burst out from the wood, sending splinters and shrapnel flying every which way. The came to a halt behind Gandalf, boxed in between the goblin King and the hundreds of goblins behind them.

“You thought you could escape me!?” The goblin King snarked as he haphazardly swung his staff at the grey wizard. Gandalf fell back into Nori and Ori, the two catching and bracing him. They steadied the wizard on his feet and as the goblin King asked what they were going to do now, Gandalf swung and sliced the huge goblin’s stomach, bringing him to his knees.

“That’ll do it...” The goblin King uttered just in time for Gandalf to swing his sword hard and slice the creatures throat, silencing him. The body of the goblin King collapsed onto the rickety bridge and it shook. They all stilled and held their breath until it stopped shaking.

Just when they thought they were clear, the wooden planks on either end snapped and suddenly they were sliding down the mountains edge, going further and further down into Goblin Town. Elenna dropped her weapon as she screamed and grabbed onto the closest person which happened to be Nori.

She held tightly onto the dwarf-thief as he clutched onto the side of the bridge for dear life. Everyone yelled and screamed as they continued their swift decent further down into the mountain. The bumpy ride worsened when they crashed into the opposite slope of the mountain, causing them to skid down roughly until they all collapsed at the bottom. Elenna squeaked and rolled with the momentum, sliding off the wooden planks and onto the cold, hard ground. She groaned and pushed herself up, taking a moment to check for any injuries.

Surprisingly, the only thing wrong with her was a few cuts and bruises, nothing life threatening, considering what they just went though. Elenna walked up to Gandalf and brushed some dirt from his robe just as the body of the goblin King came crashing down on everyone. The emerald eyed woman jumped as the dwarves all groaned out in pain.

Gandalf urged her forward and Elenna began to help him haul the dwarves up. She pulled Bifur to his feet and took a step back to look everyone over. They were more or less okay. Elenna faltered. ‘ _Wait! Where is Bilbo!?_ ’ The blond haired woman looked back to the pile of broken wood, her eyes frantically searching for the hobbit. He was no where to be seen.

Elenna thought back to when she last saw him and could only remember back to when they were all falling from their resting spot in the cavern. After that, Elenna did not see the hobbit – although she thought he was hidden somewhere within their group. The blond lowered her gaze, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. ‘ _Where is he?_ ’

“Elenna, hurry!” Gandalf called.

Elenna looked up. “Gandalf!” She ran after the wizard, intent on telling him about their missing hobbit. But before she could say anything else to the grey haired wizard, they dwarves all shuffled into a single-file line as they squeezed through narrow tunnels within the mountain. “Wait, Gandalf!” Elenna cursed under her breath, the wizard was leading the group out of the mountain while Elenna was following up at the back.

She came to a brief pause and turned back. Her green eyes searched the area one last time but when a spear came flying towards her from the crowd of rapidly approaching, very angry goblin’s, she yelped and continued on after the dwarves and their wizard.

They ran through the small passage ways, weaving and zigzagging until they finally made it outside. Elenna was surprised to see that it was in fact dawn, the sun bathing the mountain side in a warm, bright light. The human stopped when she noticed the position of the sun and realized that it was not dawn – but dusk. The sun was beginning to set and she had to wonder just how long they were in Goblin Town for.

Elenna saw everyone was still running on ahead so she pushed herself to catch up. She still needed to tell them about Bilbo.

When the human woman finally caught up, she sucked in some much needed air, her ribs and chest aching from all the fighting and running. Her side felt as if it were going to split open but she walked over to Gandalf who was currently doing a head count. When he fell short a number, he quickly realized who was missing, “Where’s Bilbo!?”

“Gandalf–” Elenna was cut off.

“Where is our hobbit!?” The old wizard demanded, looking in between the group of dwarves.

“Curse that halfing!”

“I thought he was with Dori!”

“Don’t blame me!”

Gandalf turned to the grey haired dwarf. “Where did you last see him?” He asked. Before Dori could say anything, it was Nori who answered.

“I think he slipped away when we got cornered,” Nori explained. Elenna nodded, because that was when she remembered seeing Bilbo last, as well. Nori opened his mouth to further explain the situation but Thorin interrupted.

“I’ll tell you what happened!” He snapped, “Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it.”

Elenna shook her head. ‘ _He wouldn’t do that... Would he?_ ’ As much as she did not want to believe the dwarf’s words, they still had the problem of not knowing where the hobbit actually disappeared to. For they knew, he could have gotten captured or if he did slip away as Nori said, perhaps he was lost in the tunnels of Goblin Town still.

“He is long gone by now.” Thorin declared.

The woman frowned, “He can’t be...” Elenna muttered.

Thorin turned to her, his lips curling into a sneer. Before he could rip into her, a voice called out from behind them all. “Nope. He isn’t!” Elenna whirled around and her eyes lit up when she saw the hobbit standing a few feet away from them.

“Bilbo!” She exclaimed.

There was a collective sigh of relief between the company as Gandalf stepped forward, a grin on his face. “Bilbo Baggins. I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life...” The wizard smiled down at the hobbit.

“Bilbo! We’ve given you up,” Kíli looked relieved.

Fíli shared the same look as his brother, although he was still confused about something, “How on earth did you get past the goblin’s?” He asked.

“How indeed...” Dwalin muttered as he stepped up next to Thorin.

Elenna rolled her eyes as Bilbo just laughed the dwarf’s words off. Gandalf cleared his throat, wanting to settle the sudden tense atmosphere. “What does it matter? He’s back.”

However, Thorin was not having any of it. He quipped, “It matters!” The blue eyed dwarf narrowed his eyes at the hobbit. “Why did you come back?”

Elenna furrowed her brows. ‘ _First they were asking how but now they need to know why?_ ’

Bilbo eyed Thorin but eventually spoke up to the dwarf. “Look, I know you doubt me. I know you’ve always had. And you’re right – I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. My arm chair and my garden.” The hobbit nodded as a reminiscent look crossed his face.

“See, that’s where I belong – that is my home. But that is why I came back... Because you don’t have one,” Bilbo looked at all the dwarves, “A home. Because it was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can.”

Elenna smiled. She sure hoped Dwalin and Thorin felt silly for ever doubting the hobbit. She was glad that Bilbo said something to put them in their place. The tender moment within the company was short-lived when they suddenly heard howling. Gandalf’s head shot up, his eyes wide as he stared back behind them. He yelled to them, “Run!”

The group all took off, eager to get away from the growls and grunts of the wargs hot on their tail. They ran until they reached the edge of the mountain. Elenna came to a stop and peered over the side, seeing a huge drop to certain death. She turned back around as the wargs began to close in on them. Gandalf told them all to get into the trees so they did. Elenna climbed up into the tree on the edge of the cliff side, her fingers clutching onto the branches.

The tree offered a false sense of security as it reminded her of home, like she was back in Caras Galadhon where they all lived in trees. However, there they did not have wargs nipping at their feet. Elenna was brought out of her reverie when a warg jumped up and nipped at the branch just beneath her feet. She yelped and climbed up higher.

From where Elenna was perched, she could see a big, white and scarred creature who she could only assume was an orc. He spoke in a language she did not understand and either way, Elenna was sure she did not want to understand. The pale orc’s words however did seem to be getting to Thorin.

The wargs without the rider’s charged forward under the command of the pale orc. They jumped and tore into the bark of the trees with their razor-sharp claws, snapping their jaws at them. Elenna watched as the trees began to fall, crashing into each other like domino’s. The dwarves all jumped from tree to tree, everyone eventually ending up in the last tree perched on the edge of the mountain side. The wargs continued their assault, jumping and clawing at them until Gandalf threw a flaming pine cone down at the hungry beasts. The wizard made more and passed them on. Elenna grabbed a pine cone and got it burning with the help of Ori. She threw as hard as she could and watched the flaming pine cone soar through the air and hit the pale orc's head. It bounced off and Elenna sunk back, "Ooh..."

The wargs backed off as the fire spread on the ground, burning brightly as they all added more flames to the fire. The pale orc shouted in anger and for a brief moment, the company rejoiced – until the tree shook from the weight of them all. Elenna looked down to see that the wargs had done a good job on the trunk, seeing that they managed to dig at the earth and rip at the roots holding the tree down. The tree fell but thankfully did not go over the edge. The company all held on dearly to the branches, not wanting to fall from the edge and to their deaths.

Ori slipped but he managed to grab a hold of his eldest brother’s legs. Dori yelled and held on for dear life, now having to hold up Ori as well as himself. The branch squeaked from the sudden tug of weight, cracking just a tad. “Gandalf!” Dori yelled as he struggled for a better grip. He slipped but Gandalf extended his staff just in time for the dwarf to grab onto. Elenna released a shaky breath, glad that they did not fall.

She wondered if that was it for them all. Surrounded by orcs, wargs, and flames – stuck on a tree hanging off the side of a cliff with a drop to certain doom. She wondered how they would die, what would get to them first. The blond woman’s thoughts fell quiet when Thorin managed to get onto his feet, a deep glare set on his face. “No!” Balin objected.

But the leader of the company did not hear him. Thorin charged forward, away from the tree and into the heat of flames, straight for the pale orc with a sneer on his face.


End file.
